Ratan Tata dismisses 'ghost-shadow' talk over Tata Group
do what I thought was the right thing. I told Cyrus the same thing," he said.
During the transition, Mistry had asked him from time to time, 'is this OK, that OK'. He had responded by telling him that he should look at things as "if I were not there because you should be your own person".
He had told Mistry, "if you want my inputs I will give it to you but be your own man and be yourself and just be driven by the fact that every act you do and every move you make has to stand the test of public scrutiny".
That, he said, was the test he had given himself. "If it stands the test of public scrutiny, do it... if it doesn't stand the test of public scrutiny then don't do it."
Asked if his counsel would be available to his successor, Tata replied, "Yes, certainly. He knows where to reach me and, we in fact, would talk business and stay in touch after I leave."
He then disclosed that the two of them would have lunch every couple of weeks "over something and we will talk about whatever he wants to talk about".
Tata, who will remain Chairman of the various Tata trusts, which hold 66 per cent shares of Tata Sons, was asked as to whether this would not give him a large influence over the group.
He replied, "I don't want to say I will have a large influence over the group. I think I would have
