When JRD Tata told Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy: “Young man, don’t make your wife …”

Infosys co-founder Narayana Murthy recently shared a story, underscoring the deep-rooted values of the compassion and respect for individuals that defines the Tata legacy. While reflecting on the life of Ratan Tata in a recent interview with India Today, Murthy recalled an encounter with J.R.D. Tata, Ratan’s predecessor, where J.R.D. witnessed Murthy’s wife, Sudha, waiting in the dark for a taxi.
“Young man, don’t make your wife wait in darkness in the future,” Murthy said, recalling J.R.D. Tata’s advice, in the interview.
“This is the greatness of the Tatas—how they value human beings,” he added.

Rata Tata “was a human being with lots of…”

Recalling how Tata cared deeply for the underprivileged and his employees, Murthy said that Tata “was a human being with lots of compassion.”
“He believed that we Indians could produce our own cars,” Murthy noted, while highlighting Tata’s dedication to the community, such as the launch of the Tata Nano that was launched to provide affordable transportation for the masses.
Talking about another valuable lesson from the Tatas, Murthy shared an experience from 1999 when he introduced his daughter to Ratan Tata. He said that the one-hour meeting was extended to three hours and imparted invaluable lessons on leadership. Reportedly, he talked about how it is a need to take tough decisions and compassion for those less fortunate.
“It was a wonderful lesson on leadership, not just for my daughter but for Sudha and me as well,” Murthy said.
“This is the greatness of the Tatas—how they value human beings,” Murthy added.

Ratan Tata’s “compassionate capitalism” philosophy

Murthy also talked about Ratan Tata’s “compassionate capitalism”.
“Ratan demonstrated this extremely well. His humility and kindness were lessons in compassionate capitalism,” he said, recalling how Tata ensured job security for employees even during the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai.