The Big Family, TATA Family!

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It was a joyous occasion for the Gokhale-Datye families—their son and daughter were about to marry, bringing two families together and creating one big, united family. Excitement filled the air as preparations for the wedding began, with both sides agreeing on a half-day ceremony, inviting close friends and family on a Sunday morning. Among the tasks at hand were selecting an auspicious time for the wedding rituals, finalising the guest list, and planning the lunch menu.

As we worked through the guest list, an interesting detail emerged—many invitees were current or former colleagues, many of whom had grown into family friends. This was no surprise, given that we two (the bride and the groom) and the two fathers were working in one of the Tata companies or institutions. Many of the guests had known us for over a decade.

At the time of the wedding, I was working at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), on social research projects and had my list of teammates turned friends. My husband, Anil, was employed at Voltas India. Anil’s colleagues and teammates from the Voltas Cricket team were among the invitees. Both our fathers had their guest lists filled with Tata connections: my father, a long-time employee of Rallis India Ltd (a leading crop care company), and Anil’s father, a veteran of the Tata Electric Company (power generation). At the time of the wedding, both men had dedicated over 25 years to the Tata group.

Our Tata connection didn’t stop there. One family had lived in Tata colonies across Maharashtra and had settled in a Tata Employees’ Cooperative Society, while the other was connected with Rallis' employee initiatives. In many ways, our wedding became a reunion for several Tata associate families, rekindling memories and celebrating old and new bonds. We continued to talk about the event for weeks, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the wedding video cassette.

I still vividly recall the day our new, extended family gathered to watch the wedding video—our moment in the spotlight in the lead roles in this beautiful union. Naturally, I was curious to see how we looked, if our outfits were on point, and whether we pulled off the stylish looks we aimed for. After lunch, we all sat down to relive the "Gokhale-Datye Wedding." My nervousness quickly vanished as our parents began reminiscing about the rituals and the light-hearted moments from that day.

However, the real excitement came, not from the wedding itself, but from the numerous pauses and rewinds of the video, to talk about Tata connections. Every five minutes, someone would share a story about a friend or colleague from the Tata group, recalling moments of simplicity, wisdom, leadership, and dedication. My father even mentioned how reassured he was that I was joining a family steeped in the same Tata culture and values he had cherished for so many years.

At that point, four of us were working in different professions across diverse industries, yet we remained linked to the singular name called TATA. The Tata name carries with it a unique legacy—an identity rooted in ethics, entrepreneurship, development, service and a deep connection to national pride. Our family took immense pride in belonging to the larger Tata family, which meant we shared a common set of values, principles, and a sense of identity.

Remembering Sir Ratan Tata is, in essence, remembering our roots and feeling proud to be part of this vast, ever-connected "Big Family" called Tata.

 14/10/2024

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