Not your regular nerd

My acquaintance with the person who will spearhead the Tata empire, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, was in 2004. This was months before the jewel of the Tata Sons company, Tata Consultancy Services, went public. My introduction meeting with him was short and sweet. Like most Tamils, he was fond of cricket and had watched me play my debut Test match in Bangalore. Statistics is something which comes quite easily to him. Relaying the number of my record of catches came through quite effortlessly in our conversation, and the smile and warmth that it was delivered with have remained etched forever in my mind.

Chandra, as he is popularly known, was the COO of the company then, and the aura around him was that he was a no-nonsense man, who was a hard taskmaster. He knew his products and the market like the back of his hand. His close relations with the cool, logical and astute S. Ramadorai, the then CEO, helped form a team that made visions and goals defined and achievable for all at TCS.

One of my roles in the company was to look after events and client visits, and showcase TCS as a modern establishment with deep-rooted cultural values. For Chandra, the customer is king and, fortunately, my team and I managed to deliver to his needs on almost all occasions. This made our relationship grow deeper. There were regular cricket debates and an education for me as well in his generous impartation of knowledge on tabla taals and Indian classical music. His knowledge of Indian music, literature and customs, especially relating to south India, is remarkable.

One of the most interesting encounters I have had with Chandra has been regarding his introduction to marathon running. TCS was an associate sponsor of the Mumbai Marathon, and apart from a handful of TCS full marathoners, most participants were part of the Dream Run. During one casual walk on Worli Sea Face, Chandra told me that he would run the next marathon in Mumbai. I asked him whether he had done any sort of running before. A clear and distinct ‘No’ was the reply. I was happy to then relate to him the difficulties in attaining stamina and mental strength required to achieve such a task. He then requested me to jog and after just 100 yards a panting Chandra decided he had had enough. I was happy to have been proven right and that this was an end to a possible running chapter in his life.

Sweat and grit: Chandrasekaran at the Mumbai Marathon in 2014 | AFP

After over a month, we were on our walk once again when he requested me to jog with him. I was most happy to do so as I knew what the outcome would be. I was quite surprised and impressed that we ran slowly for over 2km to the end of the Sea Face, and was astonished when he suggested we run back. He then told me how every day, in the early hours of the morning, he ran further and further. That year, he finished the Mumbai Marathon successfully and has never looked back since.

His determination and ability to set far-off goals and achieve them came about even stronger during that run. At Marine Drive, near Chowpatty, his legs started cramping badly. He was exhausted, but even though we tried in vain to stop him he insisted on carrying on with the last 7 to 8 kilometres.

His success was the talk at all TCS centres. It showed Chandra was made of stern stuff and did not buckle even in adverse conditions. For him, the creation of the new fit and agile TCS was just an extension of his well-charted vision. Running has now become a culture in the company and achieving stretch goals a part of the DNA.

Cricket was always something that we loved to debate. He had his views on leadership, strategies and players, and I had mine. For Chandra, individual performances had no value if the team did not win. So often I would admire the wonderful batting of Tendulkar and his reply would be, “Sunny, I am sorry, the team has lost.” His analytical mind would then evaluate a tactical error on the field, an unfit player or a captain’s blunder. Chandra felt that he could have become a cricketer if he had not put his heart and soul on his education. Leg-spin bowling and aggressive batting were his forte, he said. I watched him play on the sacred turf of the Lords Cricket Ground in London. He could not restrain himself from attempting a six off England’s former captain Michael Vaughan’s off-spin, but missed the ball and was bowled. He came back even more positive as he felt that with a few alterations in his approach he would fare better in his next innings. He further elaborated this during his stint at the indoor nets, practising his batting with the help of a bowling machine. One did see him strike a few impressive shots, but his day was made when he took a one-handed blinder during the fielding practice. He looked back at me and, in his teasing, joyful demeanour, indicated his feat to me.

Rahul Dravid is one of Chandra’s all-time favourites. He admired his tenacity, patience and planning of his marathon innings and his matured persona on and off the field. During a talk at a TCS function, he had a one-on-one with Dravid. One question that stood out was when Chandra asked Dravid how he handled culturally diverse players in the Indian team. Learning from others is something Chandra always thrived on. The wise cricketer's reply was “Chandra, I had to take care of only 11 players, how do you manage 2,50,000 employees?”

The appointment of Chandra as the head of the house of Tata’s is a masterstroke. It has sent a message that the largest company in India has now a leader, not from one of the top Indian or foreign MBA institutes or the IITs, but from Regional Engineering College (now National Institute of Technology), Tiruchirappalli. He is from a humble, hardworking, determined, ethical and value-based background. Chandra’s achievement will give millions of aspiring Indians the dream of emulating him.

Celebration of milestones, achievements and performances of TCS is something that Chandra enjoys. 'Nerd' is not a term one associates him with, as a tot of good malt whisky, shaking a leg to Usha Uthup and a trekking holiday in the mountains are things he is at ease with, as much as his 24x7 work ethic. His strength is his smart and organised wife, Lalitha, who gave up her career to give Chandra the freedom to flourish. A family man, he enjoys his simple homemade south Indian cuisine—delicious even to a non-vegetarian like me. He is simple and honest, but one has to be wary of his subtle humour, as you could become a victim of it if you are not in sync.

Yajurvindra Singh played for India under Bishan Singh Bedi, S. Venkataraghavan and Sunil Gavaskar. He took a record seven catches in his debut Test, including a record five in an innings. He later worked at the TCS.