The Tatas in Jamshedpur

[samai]

As mentioned by Lakshmi Mittal:



I visited Jamshedpur over the weekend to see for myself an India that is

fast disappearing despite all the wolf-cries of people like

Narayanamurthy and his ilk. It is one thing to talk and quite another to

do and I am delighted to tell you that Ratan Tata has kept alive the

legacy of perhaps Indias finest industrialist J.N. Tata. Something that

some people doubted when Ratan took over the House of the Tatas but in

hindsight, the best thing to have happened to the Tatas is

unquestionably Ratan. I was amazed to see the extent of corporate

philanthropy and this is no exaggeration.



For the breed that talks about corporate social responsibility and talks

about the role of corporate India, a visit to Jamshedpur is a must. Go

there and see the amount of money they pump into keeping the town

going;see the smiling faces of workers in a region known for industrial

unrest; see the standard of living in a city that is almost isolated

from the mess in the rest of the country.



This is not meant to be a puff piece. I have nothing to do with Tata

Steel, but I strongly believe the message of hope and the message of

goodness that they are spreading is worth sharing. The fact that you do

have companies in India which look at workers as human beings and who do

not blow their software trumpet of having changed lives. In fact, I

asked Mr Muthurman, the managing director, as to why he was so quiet

about all they had done and all he could offer in return was a smile

wrapped in humility, which said it all. They have done so much more

since I last visited Jamshedpur, which was in 1992. The town has

obviously got bu ier but the values thankfully haven't cha nged.

The food is still as amazing as it always was and I gorged, as I would

normally do. I visited the plant and the last time I did that was with

Russi Mody.



But the plant this time was gleaming and far from what it used to be.



Greener and cleaner and a tribute to environment management.You could

have been in the mountains. Such was the quality of air I inhaled! There

was no belching smoke; no tired faces and so many more women workers,

even on the shop floor.This is true gender equality and not the kind

that is often espoused at seminars organised by angry activists. I met

so many old friends.Most of them have aged but not grown old.

There was a spring in the air which came from a certain calmness which

has always been the hallmark of Jamshedpur and something I savoured for

a full two days in between receiving messages of how boring and decrepit

the Lacklustre Fashion Weak was.



It is at times such as this that our city lives seem so meaningless.



Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata had created an edifice that is today a robust

company and it is not about profits and about valuation. It is not about

who becomes a millionaire and who doesnt'.It is about getting the job

done with dignity and respect keeping the age-old values intactand this

is what I learnt.



I jokingly asked someone as to whether they ever thought of joining an

Infosys or a Wipro and pat came the reply:"We are not interested in

becoming crorepatis but in making others crorepatis."



Which is exactly what the Tatas have done for years in and around

Jamshedpur. Very few people know thatJamshedpur has been selected as a

UN Global Compact City, edging out the other nominee from India,

Bangalore.



Selected because of the quality of life, because of the conditions of

sanitation and roads and welfare. If this is not a tribute to industrial

India, then what is? Today, Indian needs several Jamshedpurs but it also

needs this Jamshedpur to be given its fair due, its recognition. I am

tired of campus visits being publicised to the Infosys and the Wipros of

the world.



Modern India is being built in Jamshedpur as we speak.

An India built on the strength of core convictions and nothing was more

apparent about that than the experiment with truth and reality that Tata

Steel is conducting at Pipla.



Forty-eight tribal girls (yes, tribal girls who these corrupt and evil

politicians only talk about but do nothing for) are being educated

through a residential program over nine months. I went to visit them and

I spoke to them in a language that they have just

learnt: Bengali. Eight weeks ago, they could only speak in Sainthali,

their local dialect. But today, they are brimming with a confidence that

will bring tears to your eyes. It did to mine.



One of them has just been selected to represent Jharkand in the state

archery competition. They have their own womens football team and whats

more they are now fond of education. It is a passion and not a

burden.This was possible because I guess people like Ratan Tata and

Muthurman havent sold their souls to some business management drivel,

which tells us that we must only do business and nothing else.The fact

that not one Tata executive has been touched by the Naxalites in that

area talks about the social respect that the Tatas have earned.



The Tatas do not need this piece to be praised and lauded. My intent is

to share the larger picture that we so often miss in the haze of the

slime and sleaze that politics imparts. My submission to those who use

phrases such as "feel-good" and "India Shining" is first visit

Jamshedpur to understand what it all means.See Tata Steel in action to

know what companies can do if they wish to. And what corporate India

needs to do. Murli Manohar Joshi would be better off seeing what Tata

Steel has done by creating the Xavier Institute of Tribal Education

rather than by proffering excuses for the imbroglio in the IIMs. This is

where the Advanis and Vajpayees need to pay homage.

Not to all the Sai Babas and the Hugging saints that they are so busy

with.India is changing inspite of them and they need to realise that.



I couldn't hav e spent a more humane and wonderful weekend. Jamshedpur

is an eye-opener and a role model, which should be made mandatory for

replication.I saw corporate India actually participate in basic

nation-building, for when these tribal girls go back to their villages,

they will return with knowledge that will truly be life-altering.



Corporate India can do it but most of the time is willing to shy away.

For those corporate leaders who are happier winning awards and being

interviewed on their choice of clothes, my advise is visit Tata Steel,

spend some days at Jamshedpur and see a nation's transformation.That is

true service and true nationalism.



Tata Steel will celebrate 100 years of existence in 2007. It won't be

just a milestone in this company's history.It will be a milestone, to my

mind of corporate transparency and generosity in this country.It is

indeed fitting that Ratan Tata today heads a groupwhich has people who

are committed to nation-building than just building inflluence and

power. JRD must be smiling wherever he is. And so must Jamsetji

Nusserwanji. These people today, have literally climbed every last blue

mountain. And continue to do so with vigour and passion.Thank god for

the Tatas!

[CtrlAltDel]

WOW!!!

[Amused HP]

My reply would be in two parts. The first one is dedicated to the Tatas. True, they have created the perfect example of corporate philanthrophy and social responsibility in Jamshedpur. And not just Jamshedpur. Even other small towns like Mithapur are shining examples of the Tatas' corporate ethics. And they've never clamoured for any publicity for all this. Hats off to them.



The second part is actually a question to samai. I just don't understand why you had to post this in the name of Lakshmi Mittal. Are you someone from the Tata group itself looking for some positive comments for what the group has done? Are you someone who is anti-IT/ITES? Or are you someone who was just fooled by a chain email started off by someone from the ilks mentioned above?



First thing, Mittal would never be a guest of the Tatas as it comes across in this piece. This would send across umpteen wrong messages to the corporate world, something that neither the Tatas nor Mittal can afford. Secondly, he is an extremely sane person and would not badmouth respected people like Narayana Murthy; companies like Infosys and Wipro and industries like IT/ITES. Why go that far, he's neither the kind of person, nor is he in a position to ask someone if they wanted to switch to companies like Infosys and Wipro. Just doesn't add up. And yeah, there are way too many spelling mistakes and it looks like coming from someone who is much younger - the absence of apostrophes where required is not something the older generation would do.



So samai, come clean!!

[FT]

The sound of the entire thing is rather opiniated and smacks of straight in your face naivette.



Don't know much about Mittal (ofcourse seeing him posed in his bathrobe in Forbes didn't help much for his image), but this piece above if written by him - Mittal does need new PR folks.



My opinion. Doubt the veracity.

[RK]

The sound of the entire thing is rather opiniated and smacks of straight in your face naivette.

Don't know much about Mittal (ofcourse seeing him posed in his bathrobe in Forbes didn't help much for his image), but this piece above if written by him - Mittal does need new PR folks.

My opinion. Doubt the veracity.

The first line of the post says "As mentioned by Lakshmi Mittal".

It might have been written by some journalist

[smack]

I guess people living in J'pur do not need LN Mittal to tell them abt Tatas

[samai]

I received this mail as a chain and I gave importance to sharing what 'Tatas' have done' rather than what some 'Mittal is supposed to have said about whomever and whatever' .