Boardroom battles to Frank Sinatra, life of Tata 'patriarch'

A fortnight after Ratan Tata passed away, his much awaited biography by Thomas Mathew is out.

- NIVEDITA MOOKERJI & VEENU SANDHU

The book, running into more than 600 pages, was completed close to two years ago but was not published. Concerns over "controversial content" may have delayed the book's release, sources believe. Mathew, a former bureaucrat, who had first met the patriarch of the salt to software group some three decades ago and stayed connected with him, was at Tata's funeral earlier this month.

Published by HarperCollins, Ratan Tata: A Life spans decades--from his childhood to his first love, to being appointed chairperson of Tata Sons and then as head of Tata Trusts. Also, Mathew's work--based on a series of interviews with Ratan Tata, his family, friends, colleagues, and business associates--offers a glimpse into the social and political scene of the times.

The saga around Cyrus Mistry, who was removed as Tata Sons chairman in 2016 by Ratan Tata, plays out dramatically over several pages on finding a successor and then dealing with the situation that arose thereafter. The author writes that after a year of "parallel running", Tata began having second thoughts about "Mistry's suitability".

"Deep down, he pondered if it would be prudent to appoint a man whose ethos could potentially conflict with that of the Tatas."

One of the reasons given for the fallout is that Mistry had assured that he would establish a legally tenable framework to disassociate himself from Shapoorji Pallonji and Co. After becoming chairman, however, Mistry behaved in a different way from his father and grandfather, who had shown the utmost respect for the seniormost Tata in the group, the author writes. "But Mistry targeted Ratan, the man who had elevated him from virtual oblivion into the mainstream of the Tatas, supporting him at every turn." The confrontation and sacking of Mistry have been detailed precisely.