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Book Review
At the vanguard of modern industry
SRINIVASAN SUBRAMANIAN
The Romance of Tata Steel: R.M. Lala; Penguin-Viking, 11, Community Centre, Panchsheel Park, New Delhi-110017. Rs. 495.
There can be no doubt that the Tatas represent one of the oldest and most respected companies to flourish in India. Russi Lala attempts to portray the ethos of this business conglomerate by tracing back its history in this book. There is a need for such journeys into the past to enable an understanding of what makes this enterprise tick and how it can possibly continue in its high ratings in the public’s perception. Corporations desire to grow and sustain forever, an
d in this it becomes necessary to create a narrative that has lots of heroes exhibiting higher values. This I suspect is a prerequisite for providing the glue it requires to bond with its various constituents.
Core sector
This book is an interesting narrative simply because steel is at the core sector of industry. The journey also spans a period from the strongly colonial India of the 1880s to the liberalised and independent India of today. This period had situations of interest in the running of a business venture. Some of which R.M. Lala highlights, such as hiring and managing a multinational task force, as the requisite capabilities were not available indigenously. Also is narrated the change of political environment. Naturally the approach of the management towards a colonial master, the course corrections it had to make in the various forms of governance in independent India (license permit raj to liberalisation), are subjects that can provide extremely valuable insights.
Pathfinder
The attempt is to showcase the Tatas as a pathfinder to the India that we see today where adventure, innovation and expansive growth are a lot more commonplace.
The problem I find is that this book is too sweet. For instance, clearing of forests for mines has a cursory comment on its effect on the life of its original inhabitants: “Now the conditions are easier but the jungle is thinner. Formerly in winter we used to sit around a fire now we don’t.”
The narrative drowns this with a whole lot of philanthropic anecdotes and the mandate they are granted from their constituency. The underlying philosophy seems to be that old mother nature just has to be exploited but as long as its done philanthropically, by taking all stakeholders aboard, its good news. Coupled with this is the air that its managers were always selfless and devoted to the mission of developing the nation. This makes it paternal and reduces the book to promotional literature.
It surely could have done with some of the not so nice things that are inevitable in any organisation that stays in business over 100 years. For instance, we could have had some narration of the unseemly boardroom scuffles that led to the exit of Russi Mody.
That’s why this book lacks romance as it lacks the inconvenient truth. There are simply no accounts of errors or evidence of fallibility.
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