Russi Mody

Russi Mody (17 January 1918 – ) was former Chairman and Managing Director of Tata Steel (formerly known as TISCO) and a leading member of the Tata Group.Infobox Person
name = Rustomji Homusji Mody

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image_size =
caption = Russi Mody
birth_date = birth date and age|1918|01|17|df=y
birth_place = Mumbai , India
death_date =
death_place =
occupation = Chairman of Tata Steel from 1984 - 1993
spouse = Siloo Russi Mody
parents = Sir Homi Mody and Lady Jerbhai
children =
networth =

Early years

Russi was born 17 January 1918, in Mumbai to a parsee family. His father was Sir Homy Mody, the first Governor of United Provinces. His mother was Lady Jerbhai. Russi had two brothers, Kali Homi Mody and Piloo Mody 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 lives in Kolkata.

Career

Russi Mody joined Tata Steel 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. [citenews |url=http://www.tatasteel100.com/people/vanguards_mody.asp |title= Tata Steel Vanguards] Russi Mody was an enormous personality in his time at Jamshedpurfacts|date=August 2008. Russi was well loved by the workmen and local people of Jamshedpur.facts|date=August 2008His skills as 'man manager' were well known. He was popular particularly among the younger generation of TISCO engineers. [cite book |first = Partha | last = Mukherjee |title = "Russi Modi : The Man who also made Steel" |pages = 250 |publisher = Stellar Publishers Pvt. Ltd. |year = 2008] Russi had once accompanied Einstein on piano while Einstein played voilin [cite book | first = Niharika | last = Seth | title = "Russi Modi : The Man And His Vision" | pages = 96 | publisher = Rupa & Co. | year = 2005 | isbn= 8-129-10325-7 ] He is known for wolfing down 16-egg omelettes and dining with workers on the shop floor when he was young. [citenews |url=http://www.tata.com/media/reports/inside.aspx?artid=d0oVCgCnqc8= |title= Tata Group Media Reports]

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. [citenews |url=http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/11/17/stories/2007111752581000.htm |title= The Hindu Business Line ]

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.

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. [citenews |url=http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080330/spectrum/books4.htm |title=The Sunday Tribune]

Awards and recognition

Padma Bhushan in 1989

References