New Delhi
All India Management Association (AIMA) President, Ms Suneeta Reddy, has expressed her condolences on the passing of Mr Ratan Tata, former Chairman of Tata Sons.
Paying tribute, Ms Reddy described Mr Tata as a grand statesman of Indian industry, marking his passing as the end of an era in Indian capitalism and business leadership.
“Mr Ratan Tata epitomised modern Indian business leadership, inspiring other Indian business houses to think globally and combine profit with purpose. India’s management fraternity will miss its brightest star,” she said.
Ms Reddy reflected on Mr Tata’s remarkable legacy, highlighting how he succeeded the legendary JRD Tata and reinvented the group’s business portfolio. She noted his strategic moves in shedding legacy businesses such as radios and toiletries, while steering the group into emerging sectors like telecom and renewable energy. She also recalled his leadership during India’s global acquisition spree in the 2000s, when Tata Group became the largest employer in UK manufacturing through its acquisitions of Tetley, Jaguar, and Corus.
Ms Reddy found Mr Tata’s ability to turn his passions into mega businesses deeply inspiring and highlighted how he repositioned Tata Motors as a major carmaker and re-established the group in the aviation business, eventually reclaiming Air India for the Tata Group. Even in his setbacks, such as with the Nano, he showed a willingness to think big and attempt to transform the market, rather than merely participating in it, she said. She also admired Mr Tata for professionalising the leadership of the group’s controlling company and considers the Tata Group’s successful transition from family to professional leadership an exemplary model for other leading Indian business families.
Ms Rekha Sethi, Director General of AIMA, remarked that Indian management has lost one of its most revered and visionary leaders, a global business icon whom AIMA had the honour of hosting and celebrating. "AIMA will always be grateful for Mr Tata's unwavering support and guidance over the years," she said.
Mr Tata had been an Honorary Fellow of AIMA since 2000, and he was the recipient of AIMA’s Lifetime Achievement Award for Management in 2011.
In his acceptance speech, Mr Tata acknowledged the contributions of India’s management fraternity in elevating the country from a developing economy to a global powerhouse. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cj3yn3Ra-xg)
During Mr Tata’s tenure as the leader of the Tata Group, AIMA instituted its flagship JRD Tata Corporate Leadership Award, which has been presented annually since 1995 to India’s most outstanding CEOs, in honour of the Tata legacy.
"AIMA deeply mourns the loss of Mr Ratan Tata, whose visionary leadership and profound contributions to Indian and global business will continue to inspire generations of leaders. His legacy will remain a guiding force for India's management community," Ms Sethi said.
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