Two great leaders pass on

Two stalwarts of India Inc passed on. First was Russy Modi, who till a few years ago was a synonym for Tata Steel or Tisco as it was known during his tenure. He left behind a legacy of 53 years and was responsible for not just the growth of the company but for bringing forth many HR initiatives. After he quit Tisco, Mody became chairman of Air India and Indian Airlines. During his last years, he suffered from dementia, a cruel play of life where the very brain which nurtured one of the best run companies of India, could not even do basic day-to-day chores. Known to a people’s man, he spoke to even the lowest rung worker and had developed that kind of a relationship with every factory worker. A firebrand leader, its sad that this light too, of an era gone by is now extinguished.

Another equally well known and respected industrialist who passed on was Captain Nair, founder of Hotel Leela. Having worked in the Indian Army and also under Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Captain Nair’s story was a truly inspiring rangs-to-riches. One of eight children, with education funded by a local landlord in Kerala, his rise from poor to funder of one of the most luxurious hotels in India reads like a dream. He named his hotels after his wife, Leela, the daughter of a handloom owner. Captain Nair had handed over the reins of his company to his sons – his elder son, Vivek was appointed Chairman last year and his younger son, Dinesh was made the co-chairman and managing director.

Russy Modi and Captain Nair represented truly a time gone by, when values had more importance than price, where personal growth mattered more than growth of the company and its profits. This era is gone and we only have to hope that the next generation carries forward at least some of this ‘valuable’ DNA.