Ratan Tata loved dogs, animals and birds. In the midst of all his numerous official responsibilities, he prioritised their well-being because he thought it was the right thing to do to speak up for and help animals, who have no voice to champion their own.

Bombay House, the headquarters of the Tata group, is unique in being a home for stray dogs. Ever since I joined the Tata group in 1987, I have always seen stray dogs in the foyer of the premises. Ratan Tata loved these dogs. There are pictures I have seen of Ratan sitting down on the steps of Bombay House, playing with them.

When Ratan entered Bombay House each morning, he would pass by these dogs on his way up to his office which was located on the fourth floor. He would observe them as he went by. On one particular day, as he walked past the foyer, he felt that one of the dogs was not looking too well.

As soon as he went up to his office, he advised his assistant: “Can you have a veterinary doctor look at this dog? He does not seem well at all.” The fact that he did this immediately, in the midst of hundreds of other official things that must have been on his mind, indicates the genuine care that he had for these animals.

A person who has worked closely with Ratan Tata narrated to me another story that brought alive the same care and compassion for living beings. Just outside Ratan Tata’s corner office on the fourth floor of Bombay House was a small terrace garden, full of green shrubs and plants. It is a lovely patch of greenery that overlooks the busy Fort area of Mumbai. Once, when Ratan stepped out on this balcony, perhaps to take in a breath of fresh air, he found a little bird which had fallen there. Stopping all other work, he called his assistant and said, “Can we please call a vet who can help treat this little bird?” His office then kept apart other work for some time, and immediately got in touch with an expert, Pradeep D’Souza, also known as the “birdman of Mumbai”, to help treat this injured bird.

Ratan Tata’s keenness to provide a safe space for stray dogs has been highlighted in a beautiful story narrated on the social media platform LinkedIn by N Chandrasekaran (Chandra), chairman of Tata Sons. Sometime in 2017, after becoming chairman, Chandra expressed a desire to renovate Bombay House. This building had not been touched ever since its opening in 1924, nearly a century ago. Many people cautioned Chandra that Ratan Tata may not like such a renovation, particularly because Bombay House is regarded as a revered temple by everyone in the Tata group.

When Chandra finally mentioned the renovation, Ratan had one important question for him. “Where will the dogs go?” He was referring to the stray dogs at the reception of Bombay House.

Chandra then told Ratan Tata that the plan was to build a kennel for these dogs in the renovated headquarters. When Bombay House was reopened after the renovation in 2018, Ratan Tata wanted to first see the kennel. He went there and was happy to see its thoughtful design, which reflected how well the dogs would be cared for.

Ratan Tata’s question to Chandra – “Where will the dogs go?” – was not just about the dogs. It was a reflection of how important the values of care and compassion were in Ratan’s life in his quest to do what he thought was right.

Yet another story about Ratan Tata prioritising care and compassion over everything else was narrated to me by Suhel Seth, well-known businessman, columnist and speaker. In February 2018, Ratan Tata was scheduled to receive a lifetime achievement award for his philanthropic efforts from Prince Charles (now King Charles III) at Buckingham Palace in London. This event had been organised by the British Asian Trust, and Suhel Seth had been in touch with Ratan in this regard.

The event was slated for February 6. Suhel had reached London two or three days ahead of the date of the function. As soon as he landed in London, he saw several missed calls on his cellphone from Ratan Tata.

So he called back and asked, “Mr Tata, what has happened?”

Ratan Tata told Suhel that one of his dogs had fallen terribly ill. Ratan had two pet dogs, Tango and Tito, and one of them was unwell. Ratan said, “I cannot leave him and come to London.” Suhel tried reasoning with Mr Tata that this was a very prestigious event, with Prince Charles himself attending. However, Ratan Tata refused to budge, and he did not come to London.

He preferred to stay behind at home in Mumbai to look after his sick pet dog, even if it meant missing out on such a coveted event. For Ratan, this was clearly the right thing to do.

Suhel Seth then had the task of conveying to Prince Charles that Ratan Tata was unable to attend the awards event because of his pet dog’s illness. Suhel says that Prince Charles listened to him and replied, “That’s a man. That’s the man that Ratan is. That is why the house of Tata is what it is. That is why it is on a stable course.”

How can I conclude this section without speaking about Goa, one of Ratan Tata’s favourite dogs? Goa was so named because his origins were from Goa. As a small stray puppy, he had jumped into the car of a visiting senior Tata officer, Freddy Talati, who had brought him from Goa all the way to Bombay House.

Goa had a very special relationship with Ratan Tata. After Ratan had retired as chairman of Tata Sons, he had moved his office from Bombay House to the third floor of a nearby heritage building, Elphinstone House, which was located near Horniman Circle in the Fort area of Mumbai. Goa would walk across to Elphinstone House, get into the lift, go up to the third floor and walk into Ratan Tata’s office all by himself. He would sit next to Ratan Tata on the sofa in his office. Ratan would pet him there and ensure that he was well taken care of. In fact, Ratan Tata actually had a small bed created for Goa in the conference room, to ensure that the dog slept comfortably while he was visiting. Their relationship symbolised the immense love and care that can exist between man and dog.

Apart from the personal care that he displayed towards dogs and other animals, Ratan Tata was keen to create institutional facilities for the proper care of animals. One such dream came true towards the end of his life, when Tata Trusts’ Small Animal Hospital officially opened its doors in Mumbai on July 1, 2024. The hospital is a 200-bed facility that offers advanced medical care for small animals like dogs and cats, including emergency care, CT scans, MRI, X-rays, ultrasound and specialised surgery units. It also has a dedicated facility for stray animal welfare.

Ratan had personally championed the project, and this hospital was perhaps his final gift to the nation while he was still alive. It continues to remind us of his care and compassion.

Excerpted with permission from Doing the Right Thing: Learnings from Ratan Tata, Harish Bhat, Penguin India.

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