Real-life Millennial Dumbledore – Ratan Tata in his absolute Millennial form, disclosed that his internship at Tata Motors back when he started his career was a total waste of time. 

It was a total waste of time — I was shuffled around from department to department, but nobody actually told me what to do! I guess, I was looked at as a family member, so no one said anything to me — but I spent 6 months just trying to make myself look useful.

I, as an intern used to think it was just me but after knowing Tata’s experience at his internship, it gave me a sigh of relief that Tata and I shared the same pain in the beginning.

It reminded us of Robert De Niro’s Dialogue from The Intern where he says – If it isn’t happening, let’s make it happen.. Tata surely “made it happen” with his diligence and will to learn. In his interview, he tells us how it was his first job at Tata Steel where he was actually productive and happy.

It was only after I moved to Tata Steel that I got specific assignments and my job got interesting. I started from the floor and really understood the plight of those working around me.

Apart from mentioning his relationship with his grandmother who taught him the basic value system of life, he also spoke about JRD who he believes was his greatest mentor.

Even after facing so much criticism and accusations of nepotism, he chose to stay silent and allowed his work to make the noise. 

If you were to find the publications of that time, the criticism was personal — JRD got clubbed with nepotism and I was branded as the wrong choice.

Tata received the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and Padma Vibhushan in 2008, the third and second highest civilian honors awarded by the Government of India. Yet again, the Internet is all praises for his humility and honesty.