Book review

BEYOND THE LAST BLUE MOUNTAINA LIFE OF J.R.D. TATA

Author: R.M.Lala

Today Tata is the largest private corporate in India. It has reached this status through the persistent handwork by its employees and its motto of gaining perfection. One of the men who should be given credit for its status today is J.R.D Tata, an icon who was recognized by all and known by few. Beyond the Last Blue Mountain by R.M.Lala, a biography on him, helped us understand the man behind the curtains. The book is divided into 4 parts describing his childhood, his contribution to Indian Aviation, his outstanding personality in Indian industry and his personality, respectively. We come to know of his childhood days through Part I. His was perhaps an eventful life without the sight of boredom. He experienced the air raids of Paris at the age of ten, went on joyrides on plane, enlisted in the French army in 1923, owning a car etc. But he too had his own share of sorrows. He always wished he had finished his education in Cambridge and achieved an engineering degree. However, he made the best of it. His mother died in 1904 while his father died later at the age of 70 leaving him to take care of the family. His brother Jimmy followed them, dying in an air crash. For man credited for his cheerfulness he had many things to grieve about. Part II describes J.R.Ds real ambitious and goal- Aviation. Here we come to know of his relationship with the politicians, his various flights (one at age of 70!) and his disinterest in politics. He started the Air India with its symbol, Maharaja bowing over, at your service. He had an eye for details and every time he travelled in Air India he used to makes notes on what needs to be improved and gave credits where it asked for and send this to the managing board. His thirst for perfection got Air India the reputation it has today. His relationship with his employees was that of friendship and openness. He was known to be just and fair and he pointed out mistakes not as judgment but as a way of improvising. Due to this perfection, Air India topped list of airlines surveyed by Julian Holland of Daily mail, London in 1968. However, here too, he faced many setbacks such as the nationalization in 1949 by the government and his sudden dismissal from the chairmanship of Air India in 1977 due to political feuds. But , despite all this, J.R.D Tata still set the standards for the Aviation industry which were never again reached.

Part III tells us about his life as the Chairman of Tata from 1938 onwards. Here, Jamsetji, his grandfather had great influence on him. He lived by his grandfathers philosophy of supplying what the nation demanded. He made up to his lack of engineering degree to his advantage by self-learning and by being to open to new ideas, criticisms and suggestions from his advisors and employees. In 1944, along with other industrialists, he visited England and America to study the industrial plans, advances and organization. Here he came to know G.D.Birla better. Though both respected each other, their paths were different and so a friendship that would have benefited all, didnt blossom. J.R.D played major role in the starting of TIFR. By 1990 under his guidance Tata Steel was ranked no. 1 industry of India by the Economic Times. Part IV is perhaps the part which interested me the most. It shows us the personality of J.R.D Tata- his humbleness linked with determination to get somewhere, his appreciation of philosophy, art and drama, his trustfulness and his humor. One of the event described in the book is how he called every Sunday a friend of his, who had lost his memory and talked to him about the old days till his friends death. This humanity behind the idol endears us more to him. The Biographer has done full justice to his personality. The book has right amount of facts mixed with everyday stories and details of J.R.Ds life. Humors as well as philosophy present themselves side by side here. Read this book to see the living proof of how humbleness and humanity can be yet a virtue of leaders.