Russi Mody
Encyclopedia
Russi Mody was former Chairman and Managing Director of Tata Steel
(formerly known as TISCO) and a leading member of the Tata Group
.
who was a friend of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
and wrote the famous book Zulfy my Friend.
After a few years of schooling in India, he was sent to England
for further studies. He studied at Harrow School
and later at Christ Church College, Oxford
. On his return to India he joined Tata Steel
as an office assistant. Russi is married to his first cousin Siloo Mugaseth, the daughter of his mothers sister, and now lives in Kolkata
.
in 1939 and he was promoted to the position of Director of Personnel in 1953. He took up the position of the Director of Raw Materials in 1965. In 1970, he was appointed as Director of Operations and became Joint Managing Director in 1972.
Russi Mody was an enormous personality in his time at Jamshedpur. Russi was well loved by the workmen and local people of Jamshedpur.
His skills as 'man manager' were well known. He was popular particularly among the younger generation of TISCO engineers.
Russi had once accompanied Einstein on piano while Einstein played violin
He is known for wolfing down 16-egg omelettes and dining with workers on the shop floor when he was young.
After retiring from Tata Steel
in March, 1993, the then Prime Minister
of India
Shri P V Narasimha Rao appointed Mody as Joint Chairman of Indian Airlines and Air India
.
After quitting the job at the national carriers he decided to join politics. He filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from a constituency in Jharkhand
—the city of Jamshedpur and its suburbs form a large chunk of this parliamentary constituency. Since he had served the people of this constituency, particularly of the city of Jamshedpur, for more than three decades who also adored him as a benevolent patriarch, he was sure to win. He lost the election by a narrow margin.
Mody now runs his own trading company in Kolkata
.
in 1989
Partha Mukherjee and Jyoti Sabharwal had written his biography named 'the man who also made steel'.
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
(formerly known as TISCO) and a leading member of the Tata Group
Tata Group
Tata Group is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Tata Group is one of the largest companies in India by market capitalization and revenue. It has interests in communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy,...
.
Early years
Russi was born 17 January 1918, in Mumbai to a Parsi family. His father was Sir Homi Mody, the first Governor of United Provinces. His mother was Lady Jerbai Mody née Dubash. Russi has two brothers, Kali Homi Mody and Piloo ModyPiloo Mody
Piloo Mody was an Indian politician and the founder of the Swatantra Party. He was an advocate of liberal and free politics of India. He was a member of the 4th and 5th Lok Sabha. He represented Godhra constituency in Gujarat in the parliament. Later, he was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 10...
who was a friend of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto
Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was 9th Prime Minister of Pakistan from 1973 to 1977, and prior to that, 4th President of Pakistan from 1971 to 1973. Bhutto was the founder of the Pakistan Peoples Party — the largest and most influential political party in Pakistan— and served as its chairman until his...
and wrote the famous book Zulfy my Friend.
After a few years of schooling in India, he was sent to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
for further studies. He studied at Harrow School
Harrow School
Harrow School, commonly known simply as "Harrow", is an English independent school for boys situated in the town of Harrow, in north-west London.. The school is of worldwide renown. There is some evidence that there has been a school on the site since 1243 but the Harrow School we know today was...
and later at Christ Church College, Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. On his return to India he joined Tata Steel
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
as an office assistant. Russi is married to his first cousin Siloo Mugaseth, the daughter of his mothers sister, and now lives in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
Career
Russi Mody joined Tata SteelTata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
in 1939 and he was promoted to the position of Director of Personnel in 1953. He took up the position of the Director of Raw Materials in 1965. In 1970, he was appointed as Director of Operations and became Joint Managing Director in 1972.
Russi Mody was an enormous personality in his time at Jamshedpur. Russi was well loved by the workmen and local people of Jamshedpur.
His skills as 'man manager' were well known. He was popular particularly among the younger generation of TISCO engineers.
Russi had once accompanied Einstein on piano while Einstein played violin
He is known for wolfing down 16-egg omelettes and dining with workers on the shop floor when he was young.
After retiring from Tata Steel
Tata Steel
Tata Steel is a multinational steel company headquartered in Jamshedpur, India and part of Tata Group. It is the world's seventh-largest steel company, with an annual crude steel capacity of 31 million tonnes, and the largest private-sector steel company in India measured by domestic production...
in March, 1993, the then Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
Shri P V Narasimha Rao appointed Mody as Joint Chairman of Indian Airlines and Air India
Air India
Air India is the flag carrier airline of India. It is part of the government of India owned Air India Limited . The airline operates a fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft serving Asia, Australia, Europe and North America. Its corporate office is located at the Air India Building at Nariman...
.
After quitting the job at the national carriers he decided to join politics. He filed his nomination as an Independent candidate from a constituency in Jharkhand
Jharkhand
Jharkhand is a state in eastern India. It was carved out of the southern part of Bihar on 15 November 2000. Jharkhand shares its border with the states of Bihar to the north, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to the west, Orissa to the south, and West Bengal to the east...
—the city of Jamshedpur and its suburbs form a large chunk of this parliamentary constituency. Since he had served the people of this constituency, particularly of the city of Jamshedpur, for more than three decades who also adored him as a benevolent patriarch, he was sure to win. He lost the election by a narrow margin.
Mody now runs his own trading company in Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
.
Controversies
Because of a number of reasons, including of course the clash of egos, Russi fell foul of the powers that be at Tata Steel. In November 1991, he issued a circular promoting two of his six executive directors, Aditya Kashyap and Ishaat Husein as joint managing director and deputy managing director, respectively. The promotees were the youngest of the six TISCO executive directors. The dissenting voices of the four superseded officers found an echo in executives at various levels in Jamshedpur, who seemed to be pining for a showdown. This ill-advised step of Russi turned the tide against him, and resentment grew apace. In January 1992 Russi ultimately buried the controversy by owning that he might have erred and reverted his decision to ensure amity all around. But that was not to be. The rift between him and the Tatas continued to grow with time. The Tatas appeared to have decided to show him the door. The desirability of compulsory retirement at the age of 75 became the plausible excuse.Awards and recognition
Padma BhushanPadma Bhushan
The Padma Bhushan is the third highest civilian award in the Republic of India, after the Bharat Ratna and the Padma Vibhushan, but comes before the Padma Shri. It is awarded by the Government of India.-History:...
in 1989
Partha Mukherjee and Jyoti Sabharwal had written his biography named 'the man who also made steel'.