Author Russi M Lala needs no introduction. He has won critical acclaim for The Creation of Wealth and numerous other books. The Creation... traces the growth of the Tatas from the 19th to the 21st century. The book which was first published in 1981 was recently revised and the updated version has an epilogue by Ratan N Tata who gives insights on how the company has grappled with changes post liberalisation. 

“Sadly, there is no romance left in business. Today, everything is number and figure driven. We are living in the era of QSQT (Quarter se quarter tak). There is no time left for reflection,” he laments. Though Mr Lala admits that increased competition is focusing companies to scrutinize their bottomlines, he nevertheless feels it is important for corporates to do some form of crystal gazing. “Executives need to take out sometime and contemplate the future. It is during these moments when big ideas can be visualised.” 

Mr Lala goes on to substantiate his statement. “When I was researching on Jamsetji Tata (Mr Lala is author of For the love of India— The life and times of Jamsetji Tata) that I came to know that Jamsetji always made it a point to read for about two hours: every morning and evening. He was responsible for converting India from an agricultural and trading economy to a manufacturing economy . He envisaged a project as large as the University of Advanced Research (now the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore).” 

Mr Lala feels it is necessary for corporates to archive their business histories. “As early as 1943, JRD Tata had the vision to create an archive on the company. He once said the history of the Tatas is part of the history of India.” Mr Lala first toyed with the idea of writing a book on leadership. In Search of Leadership was published five years after The Creation of Wealth (1981). “I was intrigued by leadership styles and started researching on the subject. The real spark for the book occurred when I came across an example where Jesus washed the feet of his disciples,” he recounts. He adds,” JRD once told me, ‘to lead people, you have to lead with affection.’” 

Mr Lala started his career in journalism in 1948. “When I was about 17 years old, I wrote a letter to the editor of the Evening News of Mumbai in which I highlighted how animals were cruelly treated in a slaughter house. My mother was very pleased with my efforts and gave me Rs 5 as a reward. It was a princely sum those days,” he reminiscences. In 1959, Mr Lala became the manager of the first Indian publishing house in London, Asia Publishing House. “I was the first non-white member of the British Publishers Association,” he says rather proudly. 

In 1963, he came back to India and toured the country for one full year along with Rajmohan Gandhi. He founded Himmat Weekly along with him the following year and edited the same for about a decade. Mr Lala has been a cancer survivor and Celebration of the cells: Letters from a cancer survivor chronicles the nature of the disease, its causes, treatment and cure. “I was able to come out of this disease due to my faith,” says the proud Parsi. Mr Lala can also not forget the day when JRD Tata called on him in the hospital. “When I asked him why did he come to see me, JRD replied that he came to see an old friend. It was very touching,” he recounts.