"Be your own man, you should take your own call and you should decide what you want to," Ratan Tata said in a recent interview when asked what he would like to advise if asked by Mistry.
"Just be driven by the fact that every act you do and every move you make has to stand the test of public scrutiny," Ratan Tata advised.
Mistry is the younger son of construction tycoon Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, who holds an 18.5 percent stake in Tata Sons, the single largest shareholder. Mistry joined the board of Shapoorji Pallonji & Co as director in 1991. Three years later, he was appointed managing director of the group.
Under his stewardship, Shapoorji Pallonji's construction business grew from a turnover of $20 million to almost $1.5 billion.
Mistry also oversaw the diversification of the company from construction to design and building of complex projects in the marine, oil and gas and rail sectors. The group employs over 23,000 people and has a strong presence in India, the Middle East and Africa.
