N Chandrasekaran pays heartfelt tribute to Ratan Tata’s legacy, humanity and vision

Friends, it's a great honor to be here and say a few words on Ratan Tata being recognized as Dwell of India by the iconic Economic Times Awards. Thank the jury and Mr. S for this great honor. Ratan is a very special person. I've had the privilege of doing my full career with the Tata group, joining in 1986 as an intern. For anyone like me, an opportunity to shake hands with Ratan or take a selfie would have been a dream. I was fortunate not only to grow in the group and succeed him but to work closely with him, and over the last few years we became very close friends. He is probably so unique that he is not only most respected and admired by all of India but he is adored and loved by everyone. Everyone who came into contact with him has a story to tell. It is an Economic Times award, so normally one would think about sharing financial details, but knowing him closely, I don't think it mattered to him that much. He was not a person who can be easily understood; you have to really experience him to understand him fully because he's not a man who speaks freely. He chose his words carefully, and when he spoke them, there was a lot of clarity and depth. I have experienced it on multiple occasions. In 2017, when I took over as chairman of the Tata group, I wanted to renovate Bombay House. Many people told me not to do it, that Ratan would not like it. One person told me it's a temple. So I went to him and said, 'Mr. Tata, I would like to renovate Bombay House.' There was a pause; he didn't say anything for a few minutes. Then he said, 'By renovate you mean vacate?' I said yes. Then he said very thoughtfully, 'May I ask you something?' I said yes. He asked, 'Where will the dogs go?' I said we will look after them, take all seven dogs, and bring them back after building a kennel. For him, the small things mattered. He always evaluated anyone not just with big ideas but attention to small things. He cared for the people who cannot defend themselves; he was a defender of the defenseless. That set him apart. I've seen it on so many occasions. He never said anything just for the sake of saying, never actioned anything for the sake of actioning. His compassion was well known. When the terrorist attack happened in Bombay, he met with every single family member of those affected. The biggest gift he gave to people was his attention. It didn't matter who you are. In the last few years, I met him almost every week, sometimes twice a week, and had dinner three or four times a month. There was not a single occasion where he did not come to the door to receive me or see me off. I would tell him he didn't have to, but he insisted. For him, doing the right thing was so important. He constantly asked himself, 'Am I doing the right thing?' He was very good at putting himself in the other person's shoes to make sure he was being fair. He was an extraordinary person. You can call him a businessman, a philanthropist, a startup champion, a lover of dogs. But one thing I will always remember is that sentence: 'Where will the dogs go?' As we build the future, let us not forget to ask where will the dogs go.