A promise kept: How Ratan Tata helped an Army officer's son

"Hi Captain". The cheery greeting would ring out from a distance at Mumbai's United Services Club and Vinayak Supekar would fall in step with Ratan Tata, the young Army captain and the industrialist chit-chatting and exchanging stories as walking partners often do.

That was 1992. On Thursday, 32 years later, as the country mourned the death of Tata, Supekar, now Colonel Supekar (retired) recalled in detail his interactions with the titan, each conversation leaving an imprint to be remembered and savoured.

Col Supekar was then posted as aide-de-camp (ADC) to then General Officer Commanding of MG&G (Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa) Major General B G Shivley.

It was during one of those walks along the picturesque seaside path of the club that Col Supekar brought up the issue of his colleague's son.

The skies were grey and laden with monsoon clouds, Col Supekar recalled.

• FAREWELL, Mr TATA

"I mentioned to sir (Ratan Tata) that the son of a fellow army officer was handicapped below the waist and needed a job," he told PTI from Pune where he now lives.

"Vijay Bisht, son of my then colleague in M&G area HQ Lt Col B S Bisht, had sustained severe leg injuries after falling from a horse and I came to know he was looking for a job," he added.

Tata said the needful would be done. And it was.

"The next morning, Vijay got a call from Bombay House, the Tata Group's headquarters in south Mumbai, asking him to report for duty in the administration section," Col Supekar said.

As the world of business and outside remembered the gentle, understated industry legend who rarely called attention to himself, the former Army man also went down memory lane.

Just the year earlier, Tata had taken over the Tata Group mantle from his uncle, the legendary JRD Tata, Col Supekar said.

"There was this army veterinary clinic in Colaba and Ratan Tata used to take his dog there for regular checkups. Once, a fellow army officer saw Tata patiently waiting in a queue for his turn. The officer, a friend of mine, asked him to bypass the queue but he politely declined."

It was a memorable moment for the army officer to see such humility, Col Supekar said.

He also spoke of Tata providing a CT scan machine to the 403 Field Hospital in Siachen when a senior officer put in a request.

"The machine was a boon for the 'Siachen warriors', the civilians living in the Nubra and Shyok Valleys and visiting tourists and helped save precious lives."

Col Supekar and Tata never met after 1992.

But it matters little to the retired Army veteran.

That one year was enough for a lifetime of affection and warmth he can go back to whenever and wherever.

Like it was on Thursday.

The chairman emeritus of Tata Sons died late Wednesday at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital. He was 86.