T. R. Doongaji, managing director of Tata Services, in his 100th presentation of 'Tata Glimpses', celebrates the Tata ethos and delves into the Group's history and contribution to the nation

It's an official holiday, yet Kolkata's shiny new Royal Bengal Hall is packed to capacity. A sudden silence descends on the room as the blue screen comes alive with a familiar picture — the four architects of the Tata Group. Pinning on his lapel mike, T. R. Doongaji, managing director, Tata Services, is ready to weave his magic on the audience. He has done this before, ninety-nine times to be precise. Any nervousness on scoring a century is far from apparent.

He begins by asking the audience what they believe the Tatas represent. He receives responses like trust, fairness, reliability, excellence and sustainability. But he notes how people rarely mention the profits that they make. The $14.25-billion Tata Group makes up a whopping 2.4 per cent of India's GDP and 5 per cent of the country's exports.

Great companies have come to be associated with share price, market share, quality, turnover and other such criteria, he says. But the Tata name evokes images of philanthropy and patriotism despite the fact that the Group has been profitable consistently. It is one of the largest employers in the country and has a presence in industries ranging from salt to steel, cars to defence technology, and hotels to IT.

Mr Doongaji also briefly outlined the early history of the Group, especially the origin and growth of companies like Tata Steel, Indian Hotels, Tata Textiles, Tata Tea, Tata Power and Tata Oil Mills. He mentioned, for instance, that the company that owns the Taj chain of hotels was named Indian Hotels to signify national pride.

Interestingly, the first hotel of the chain, the Taj Mahal, Mumbai, was in reaction to an insult to the country. Founder Jamsteji Tata took two foreigners to lunch to a hotel. While his guests were welcomed in, the guards denied him entry because he was Indian. He then resolved to set up the world's finest hotel. When it first opened its doors, the Taj had its own post office, laundry and electroplating plant. It was the first place in the city to have electricity.

Mr Doongaji goes on to explain how there was barely anyone in the country whose life had not been touched by the Tatas. "You wake up in the morning to a Titan alarm, have Tata Tea for breakfast, call your office on a Tata Indicom phone, go to office in a Tata Indica and lunch at the Taj. After work you may shop at Westside. This list could go on... Yet, the first thing that comes to mind when we think of this great organisation is trust and commitment," he says.

While the Tata story is engaging, the passion of the narrator keeps the audience, captivated. The almost two-hour journey recognises the Group's pioneering and innovative spirit, salutes its ethical and moral stance, identifies its core strengths and founding strategies, acknowledges the efforts of its stalwarts and even reminisces of companies no longer in the fold. Anecdotes, some profound, some humorous and others personal, are interwoven to make the experience unforgettable.

"Most companies today are like meteors, flashy and impressive, but with no staying power. Whereas, the Tata Group is akin to the North Star, steady and a strong guiding force. We have been that for over 134 years. Hence, it is very important to not forget our founding philosophies and value systems," explains Mr Doongaji, who has often been described as the quintessential Tata man. "Someone once told me that even my blood type must be T+ve. That's the greatest compliment I have received," he says, laughing. Mr Doongaji has no qualms about wearing his heart on his sleeve. "Bombay House is my temple. The bust of the founder at the entrance has been my deity and the name of Tata is a mantra that I have chanted through the years."

The 61-year-old began his career with Tata Steel as an officer and has been a part of J. R. D. Tata's office. He has had the good fortune of working with greats like Sumant Moolgaonkar, S. A. Sabavala. "I was born an idealist and luckily have worked in a place whose philosophy gelled perfectly with my own beliefs and principles. My soul could identify with it," he says. Incidentally, his inclination towards compiling the story started from day one.

A chronic collector, Mr Doongaji would often scissor passages from J. R. D.'s speeches or put down quotes and thoughts that struck him the most. Further inspiration came from R. M. Lala's books on the Group and its pioneers. "I read a piece which Lala had written on what makes the Tatas different. It was just six lines, but it was extremely powerful and set the wheels into motion," he remembers. It was then that the idea of putting together a presentation on the Group occurred to him. The mere six lines were fleshed out with the material gathered through the years. It was some time before the story was ready.

More than 7,500 people, mostly Group employees along with management students and professionals from the world of business, from across the country have heard him recount his story. Along the way he has won a number of friends and admirers, like the 700-strong group from Tata Teleservices in Hyderabad, which wanted the session to continue much beyond its stipulated two hours. Likewise, the response to his presentation to the Northern Region Forum of the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) in New Delhi was phenomenal. Says Ritesh Deshmukh of Delhi-based Faculty of Management Studies, "Doongaji left the hall inspired, awakened, stimulated and captivated. He spoke not only about business and leadership, but also of what all of the students could and should dream to be." Similarly, Jehangir Ardeshir, president (customer care), Tata Teleservices says, "He is able to touch the emotional chord that binds us Tata people together. It is a privilege to watch him in action."

No two presentations are completely alike. Depending on his audience, he tends to emphasise on areas most relevant to them. His most enjoyable sessions have been on campuses. "We believe that the new generation has no respect for values. It is a misconception. Whenever I have shared my story, I have always had an inspired audience. We are the best example of a Group achieving material prosperity by addressing business spiritually and not compromising. Suddenly, everything is not fair in love and war," he explains.

Mr Doongaji follows no chronological or historic order. "Everyone knows about our present, it is our past that people need to be reminded of. That's our foundation and the reason for our strength today. My story is in reference, reverence, relevance to that philosophy," he says.

With a hundred presentations under his belt, Doongaji hungers for more. "Through these sessions, I hope to influence young minds and keep the philosophy, values and principles that we inherited going. It is our legacy that needs to be shared and spread around. It will never die, become insignificant or irrelevant," he says. And plans are afoot to take it beyond Indian shores. So does the narrator get bored or tired of relating his tale? "Never," he answers, "I sometimes do two sessions in one day. Every session for me is like my first time. It revitalises me. I want to inculcate the thought of the Tata way in everyone."

Uploaded on April 28, 2005