When Ratan Tata defended a woman who roasted him online

On October 9, India lost a visionary leader, business tycoon and philanthropist, but Ratan Tata’s legacy of humility remains.

An old viral post where a woman trolled him calling ‘chhotu’ has surfaced online. In a moment that captured his grace, he once defended a supposed troll, who called him ‘chhotu’ on Instagram.

The Tata Sons Chairman, who had joined the Instagram in 2019, reached one million followers within months. In celebratory post, he wrote, “I’ve just seen that the number of people on this page has reached a milestone. This wonderful online family is not what I expected when I joined Instagram and I have you to thank for it.”

The caption, with a picture of him sitting cross-legged on the floor further read, “I do believe that the quality of connections you make in this age of the internet is far greater than any number. Being a part of your community and learning from you is truly exciting and makes me very happy and I hope our journey together continues.”

While most comments graced him with applaud and praise, one stood out. A women congratulating him wrote, “Congratulations Chhotu,” followed by a heart emoticon.

Many found the comment disrespectful, leading to her being heavily criticised, but Tata’s graceful response diffused the situation. In a series of Instagram stories, Tata wrote, “There is a child in each one of us. Please treat this young lady with respect.”

Addressing the comment that had now been deleted by the women, he added, “There is a child in each one of us. Please treat this young lady with respect. I appreciate and respect the heartfelt note that the young lady had left me, and hope she will not refrain from posting again.”