J Venkateswarlu, Former Assistant Manager

A voice from the past

A Golden Jubilee always brings back happy memories of times that were and challenges overcome. Mr. J Venketeswarlu, who retired from Tata Motors in 1988 after completing 38 years of service, writes in about certain incidents that left a lasting impression on him.

Top Management's inclination to Listen to and recognise good suggestions

Year 1979-80 – Plant I Press Shop

The Bhilai Steel Plant was supposed to supply Extra Deep Drawing (EDD) sheets to Tata Motors as this would have saved the company a colossal amount in foreign exchange. However, the Bhilai Steel plant was unable to supply to tough German Standards and the idea could not be implemented.

Mr. Choudhary, a Grade 3 chargeman found an innovative alternate way of reducing costs to save foreign exchange. The Suggestion Box scheme had just begun and Choudhary put in his innovative idea of utilising the scrap produced from the costly imported cab and cowl blanks to make small parts of components. This was not acceptable to the German engineers. Since the suggestion was too valuable to be ignored, Telco went ahead and implemented the idea once the contract conditions expired and Mr Choudhary was handsomely rewarded. The Production & Inspection. Departments held an exhibition to show case the idea in two categories viz: Mother Part - larger area scraps blanked from the imported wide sheets & Child Part - the left over wider scrap blanks converted to smaller parts by further blanking and bending as per standards.

Mr. JRD Tata was invited to see the exhibition. He was impressed and wanted to know who the originator of the idea was. He got to know that the person who had suggested the idea was a Grade 3 chargeman and he wanted to meet him. Choudhury was summoned from the scrap yard. JRD asked him if Telco had rewarded him. He replied that he’d received Rs. 10,000/. JRD added another Rs.10,000/, on his behalf ,shook hands with him and asked him to carry on the good work.

Front-axle needle thrust bearings

After a major tour of European automobile industries, Mr. Sumant Moolgaokar had detailed discussions with the Engineering Research Centre (ERC) where he mooted the idea that instead of using phosphor-bronze bush bearings in the Front axle I - section shaft connecting both front wheels, needle - thrust bearings should be used to reduce friction.

This was duly implemented by ERC and 100 trucks rolled out with the new design. However, the service staff received adverse customer feedback. Engineers with trepidation, informed Mr. Moolgaokar of the feedback, expecting him to get angry. When I was asked by Mr. Moolgaokar about my thoughts on the subject I told him without fear that the customer was important and their grievances should not be neglected. However I also suggested an alternative - to him that to both serve the needs of the customer as well as benefit from technology, the bush bearing could be used on the driver’s side and the needle thrust bearing on the other side. Mr. Moolgaokar readily accepted this suggestion, even though it was not his original one.


Today, I work as a Management Consultant developing small and medium scale industries in Karnataka. The photographs of JN Tata and JRD Tata adorn the walls of my house and are a constant source of inspiration to me.