Hardcore Nationalist, Man of Consensus: How Niira Radia Recalls Ratan Tata

Niira Radia, a former corporate lobbyist who handled the public relations of Tata Group for nearly 12 years, recalled Ratan Tata as visionary and fearless leader, a "hardcore nationalist", and a "man of consensus."

In her first televised interview in more than a decade, Radia shared insights into the leadership style of Ratan Tata, who led Tata Sons, the holding entity of Tata Group, for 21 consecutive years between 1991 and 2012.

Radia, who handled the communications of Tata Group between 2000 and 2012 through the now-defunct Vaishnavi Communications, pointed towards the launch of Nano to highlight the leadership style of the late industrialist.

The project to launch Tata Nano, at an introductory price of Rs 1 lakh, shows he was a hardcore nationalist whose plans were always rooted in the betterment of the country, Radia said while speaking exclusively to NDTV Profit.

Ratan Tata believed that the Nano project could transform the lives of millions by providing an affordable four-wheeler option.

"When it was first mentioned that Ratan Tata wanted to make a Rs 1-lakh car, we all looked at him in shock," Radia said.

Radia recalled that Ratan Tata deliberately chose West Bengal for setting up the Tata Nano manufacturing plant to promote industrialisation in the state. Singur was specifically chosen because the area was represented by an opposition leader at the time, Rabindranath Bhattacharya of Trinamool Congress. "He always wanted to take everybody along with him," Radia explained.

However, the acquisition of land for the proposed project caused a political row, which eventually led the project being shifted to Gujarat's Sanand.

Radia said she first met Ratan Tata when the Tata Group was seeking to enter the aviation sector. In 1998-99, as consultants for Singapore Airlines, they discussed Tata's bid for Air India.

"...the (Tata) group was at the receiving end of negative publicity. But they kept quiet. They focused on work and communicating only what was necessary," she recalled.

On Noel Tata's elevation as the Tata Trusts chairperson, Radia said Ratan Tata would have been happy that it was a unanimous decision. "He always was a man of consensus; it was never a top-down approach. That it was unanimous, he would have be very happy," she said.

According to Radia, the one big learning from Ratan Tata was to always take things on the front foot and be courageous. He was totally fearless, she said.

Workaholic After Retirement?

On being asked if Ratan Tata was still a workaholic after retirement, Radia recalled that even after retiring he remained deeply engaged and passionate about new ventures.

He expressed a desire to nurture young entrepreneurs, taking on positions in various companies to help them develop. He recognised the potential of entrepreneurial spirit in India long before it became mainstream. As far back as 20 years ago, he would often say, “These bright young minds need opportunities."

Watch the full interaction here: