Don't just contribute, take part in CSR: Tata

Pro-active role

Highlighting the importance of shouldering the corporate social responsibility (CSR) towards community and environment in which a company is functioning, Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata stressed that merely giving a share of the company’s profit to somebody else to implement CSR projects is meaningless, if the corporate house has not involved itself in community service.

Speaking at the inauguration of the three-day ‘Development Dialogue-2013’ organised by the Deshpande Foundation here on Wednesday, Tata stated that what companies do through CSR projects is more important than the amount of money spent on it.

A company should have in its DNA, a sense to work for the welfare of the community. CSR is an extension of individual sense of social responsibility. Active participation in CSR projects is important for a company, than being a remote player. “Just to make more money, the community or the environment should not be exploited,” he observed.

Tata felt that equal opportunities based on merit is needed for all citizens in countries such as India, without any discrimination.

The United States of America was built on recognition of merit and equal opportunities for all, Tata added. When session moderator and Deshpande Foundation founder Gururaj Deshpande asked him about the difference between an innovator and an entrepreneur, Tata said that innovation brings new ideas, while entrepreneurship is implementing the idea in a successful manner. “For real success, both these abilities should be merged,” he remarked.

He said that he never compromised with his beliefs and always stuck to the values.

‘Flying jet at low altitude was thrilling’

For Ratan Tata, flying a fighter jet at low height and high speed near wind mills was more thrilling and exhilarating than heading the largest group of industries for so many years. This was revealed by Tata himself  while speaking about his post-retirement days. “For a few weeks immediately after the retirement, I had the fun which I was deprived of earlier.” “I am a pilot since the age of 17.

I had near-death experiences several times when I was flying, and lost the engine in a single-engine plane a couple of times, but still I am here,” he said. “A friend of mine opened a Twitter account for me, so that I could make my own statement than what the media chooses. Yes, I tweet, and my dogs seem to be more happy after my retirement,” he added. Gururaj Deshpande said Tata would go for a zero-gravity flight shortly.