Opinion - Letters to the Editor   

On J.R.D. Tata

The article "The business ethics of J.R.D. Tata" (July 29) has stirred up nostalgic memories among those who knew him personally. Despite his pretensions at not being a "technical man," he excelled at not only aeronautical engineering but also the highly techno-intensive steel industry. Long before the computer age, he was constantly seen with the inimitable six-inch slide-rule (the forerunner of the pocket calculator). He was a stickler for adherence to mandatory rules and regulations, despite his disagreement with most of them.

Not everyone knew that JRD insisted on reading every letter addressed to him by name, and on signing every reply. Innate modesty and self-effacement were his remarkable traits. There can be no greater tribute to JRD in particular and to the House of Tata in general than what S.K. Nanavati once said: "We all must bow down to the Almighty on bended knees for the opportunity given to us to serve the House of Tata ... "

K.P. Mahalingam,
Chennai

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On J.R.D. Tata

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