Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group, died at the age of 86. His death marks the end of an era for the Indian business community, as Tata was instrumental in transforming the conglomerate into a global powerhouse through strategic acquisitions and reforms. Under his leadership, the Tata Group grew from a traditional family business into a global company that influenced industries from steel to information technology.

Ratan Tata’s influence extended far beyond business. He enjoyed great respect from his colleagues, including NR Narayana Murthy, the co-founder of Infosys, with whom he shared a close friendship. Their relationship became a symbol of mutual respect in India’s corporate world, even though they were competitors.

NR Narayana Murthy, co-founder of Infosys, expressed deep sadness over the death of Ratan Tata and called it a monumental loss for India. Murthy described Tata as a giant among Indian industrialists and reflected on their relationship that spanned three decades. He fondly recalled his interactions with Tata, highlighting his unique blend of competence, humility, politeness, curiosity, patriotism and decency.

In a particularly memorable moment, Murthy invited Tata to inaugurate the Jamshedji Tata Room at Infosys in 2004. Tata’s response to this invitation reflected his humility and clarity of thought. He was surprised as TCS, the IT company he headed, was a competitor of Infosys. Murthy, however, stated that Jamshedji Tata, the founder of Tata Group, has overcome business rivalries. He was, first and foremost, a great patriot and Murthy felt that Ratan Tata, for all the admiration and respect he inspired, was the right person to honor Jamshedji’s legacy.

Murthy’s tribute paints a picture of Ratan Tata not only as a towering business leader, but also as someone who carried his success with humility, respect and an infectious curiosity about life.

“He said, look, I find it a bit unusual because TCS is your competitor. I said, no Ratan, Jamshedji is beyond all Indian companies,” the Infosys co-founder told ET Now, narrating the incident.

A historic moment for the Indian economy

Later, in 2020, one of the most iconic moments that reflected this connection occurred during TiEcon Mumbai when Murthy presented Tata with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In a gesture of deep respect, Murthy bent down to touch Tata’s feet on stage, a moment that was widely celebrated on social media.

The ever-humble Tata expressed his gratitude for receiving the award from a long-time friend. The images from this event went viral and many people applauded the humility that both men displayed. Despite their professional rivalry, Tata and Murthy showed the world that respect and admiration transcends competition.