Russi Mody, former CMD, Tata Steel

I don’t keep myself apprised of every detail at the Tatas -- or any other organisation, for that matter. But I wonder what would someone from outside do at the Tatas? So far there has always been a good chairman from the Tata family. There is no reason why that should not continue in the years to come. There is no reason why the family would not come up with yet another good chairman. The family of Tatas is an institution by itself. And I would always like to see some Tata spearheading the group’s operations.

Honestly, for someone like me who spent more than 50 years with the Tatas, joining the organisation in 1939 at the age of 21 and retiring in 1993 at the age of 75, it will be difficult to digest that some non-Tata is heading the group.

I always consider myself to be a Tata man. The employees of Tata Steel, and in fact the people of Jamshedpur (which include other Tata group employees as well), loved me so much and I can possibly claim with some degree of confidence that I know the pulse of the Tata employees to a great extent. And on the basis of that I think even the employees would like to see some Tata to be the next helmsman.

I had the privilege of working with the legendary JRD Tata. At 93, I cannot recall his stewardship precisely, but what I remember still is that JRD was a great man, a big man. And in our time we knew who was being brought up as the successor. There was no question of bringing someone from outside the family.

I do not know exactly what’s going on in the minds of the current management or helmsman -- why they have to go through all this to decide who would succeed the current chairman.

I do not know who this panel will finally choose to be the next chairman of one of India’s largest diversified conglomerates, but if you ask me how I would like to see the next chairman, I would say that he should be someone worthy of this position.

He should be someone who is intelligent, should have a solid standing on certain crucial issues. He should ensure that the organisation grows with time. With time, more activities have already come along and may be more will come and the new chairman should be able to respond to that.

I only hope and pray that they don’t select some odd fellow for this important job.

As told to Ritwik Mukherjee

(In 1991 an ego clash and subsequent rift between Russi Mody and Ratan Tata became the talk of corporate India. Mody fell out with the powers that be at Bombay House after he promoted two executive directors of his choice to the post of joint managing director and deputy managing director. The Tatas decided to show him the door. Desirability of compulsory retirement at the age of 75 became the plausible excuse. Mody finally moved out of Tata Steel in March 1993)