u00a0>> He is the first non-Tata chief since 1868 to be heading the group, and ever since his taking over the reins in January this year from the legendary outgoing Chairman Ratan Tata, every move of Cyrus Mistry has been under intense scrutiny. That both men possess impeccable pedigree, reputations for noblesse oblige and a hard to come by sophistication makes them appear more similar than different. But as it turns out there’s more to the job than filling Tata’s shoes. There’s the matter of neckties too. And if silly sartorial concerns appear to have hijacked the legacy narrative somewhat it’s all to do with a recent interview that the enigmatic ‘Chairman Emeritus’ gave to a foreign publication. Asked what advice he’d like to give his worthy successor, Tata is said to have remarked in a lighter vein that he’d like to see the young man ‘wear more neckties with his suits’.

Ratan Tata and Cyrus Mistry