Letter #239: JRD Tata (1965)
Chairman of Tata Group | Guiding Principles
Hi there! Welcome to A Letter a Day. If you want to know more about this newsletter, see "The Archive.” At a high level, you can expect to receive a memo/essay or speech/presentation transcript from an investor, founder, or entrepreneur (IFO) each edition. More here. If you find yourself interested in any of these IFOs and wanting to learn more, shoot me a DM or email and I’m happy to point you to more or similar resources.
If you like this piece, please consider tapping the ❤️ above or subscribing below! It helps me understand which types of letters you like best and helps me choose which ones to share in the future. Thank you!
31 years ago this week, JRD Tata passed away. JRD (Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy) Tata was the Chairman of Tata Group, for which he founded Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, Titan Industries, Tata Salt, Voltas, and Air India. Prior to joining the family business, he served in the French army. For more on JRD’s illustrious life and career, see this timeline put together by Tata.
Today’s letter is an actual letter (for once!) that JRD wrote in response to a letter from a schoolteacher in Kolkata named KC Bhansali asking what were the guiding principles of his life. At the time, JRD was 62 years old, had been Chairman of the Tata Group for over 25 years, during which he had given India its first commercial airline (Tata Airlines—now Air India) and its first comprehensive economic plan (the Bombay Plan). In his response letter, JRD shares five guiding principles that have steered his life.
I hope you enjoy this letter as much as I did! It’s as short as it is meaningful.
Related Resources:
Tata Group
India
Conglomerates
Letter
13th September 1965.
Dear Mr. Bhansali,
I thank you for your letter of the 6th August enquiring what have been the guiding principles which have kindled my path and my career. I do not consider myself to be an “illustrious personality”, but only an ordinary businessman and citizen who has tried to make the best of his opportunities to advance the cause of India’s industrial and economic development. Any such guiding principles I might unconsciously have had in my life can be summarized as follows:
That nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without deep thought and hard work;
That one must think for oneself and never accept at their face value slogans and catch phrases to which, unfortunately, our people are too easily susceptible;
That one must forever strive for excellence or even perfection, in any task however small and never be satisfied with second best;
That no success or achievement in material forms is worthwhile unless it serves the needs or interests of the country and its people and is achieved by fair and honest means;
That good human relations not only bring great personal rewards but are essential to the success of any enterprise.
Yours sincerely,
JRD Tata
If you got this far and you liked this piece, please consider tapping the ❤️ above or sharing this letter! It helps me understand which types of letters you like best and helps me choose which ones to share in the future. Thank you!
Wrap-up
If you’ve got any thoughts, questions, or feedback, please drop me a line - I would love to chat! You can find me on twitter at @kevg1412 or my email at kevin@12mv2.com.
If you're a fan of business or technology in general, please check out some of my other projects!
Speedwell Research — Comprehensive research on great public companies including Constellation Software, Floor & Decor, Meta (Facebook) and interesting new frameworks like the Consumer’s Hierarchy of Preferences.
Cloud Valley — Beautifully written, in-depth biographies that explore the defining moments, investments, and life decisions of investing, business, and tech legends like Dan Loeb, Bob Iger, Steve Jurvetson, and Cyan Banister.
DJY Research — Comprehensive research on publicly-traded Asian companies like Alibaba, Tencent, Nintendo, Sea Limited (FREE SAMPLE), Coupang (FREE SAMPLE), and more.
Compilations — “An international treasure”
Memos — A selection of some of my favorite investor memos
Bookshelves — Collection of recommended booklists.