Ratan Tata has got it going on

Caricature/Uday Mohite

On October 30, Ratan Tata joined Instagram at 81. The bio said: I made it to the 'Gram! Chairman, Tata Trusts. Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons.

His first post read: "I don't know about breaking the Internet, but I am so excited to join all of you on Instagram! After a long absence from public life, I look forward to exchanging stories and creating something special with such a diverse community!"

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Although he is no stranger to social media - he has 7.72 million followers on Twitter - his Insta foray had us smiling.

He is only eight posts old, 6664K followers richer, and has already managed to make Instagram addicts go awwww. Whether it's a handsome picture from when he was a student at Cornell or the posts about dogs that need adoption, he seems to be getting it right.

'He's experimenting with the format'

Lavin Mirchandani, founder of GetEvangelized, a content creators' marketplace
I'M excited and have already subscribed to get a dose of wisdom from the legendary icon. It's been a few weeks, and the posts have been coming consistently. He seems to have assistance in managing the profile, which is good. It focuses on revealing the personal lesser-known side of his life through a visual medium, which is perfect. I notice they have already experimented with the story format and have a 'Highlight' dedicated to his first dog Tito, which I think is an excellent and cute start.
Platforms like Instagram have been witnessing a rise of FOMO as organic drivers of growth. Your peer groups consistently remind you of the aspirational life that you desire and instill in you a sense of longing or despair. The narrative has the potential to flip from FOMO to inspiration when the likes of Mr Tata add some motivation to your feed. He has a unique perspective and world view. It will be a treat to get a peek into how these came to be, details about his work-life routine, short anecdotes from over the years, business insights and of course, more paws!
Tip for Tata: It would be good to see him share video and audio content, even if it is a quick thought recorded on his way to somewhere. Mr Tata has joined the 'Gram', and I'm sure his fans will make him the 'Sarpanch'.

'It's Instagram illiteracy with flavour'

Tushar Lall, meme expert and founder, Indian Jam Project
MR Tata is unapologetic about being a dad. Yes, I know he isn't one - but you know the dad jokes, right - he is the perfect Instagram dad. If my dad was on Instagram, he would be like him. I love how he is innocent to the world of traction. He doesn't care about what gets you likes, and that's refreshing since he is successful. His Instagram illiteracy actually provides a flavour.
Tip for Tata: Continue doing what you are. If you start being cool, it may not work. Be yourself. He is a dad that, we, millennials love - one who talks about a dog one second, and the next moment posts a throwback picture. He doesn't follow the Insta algorithm at all.

'It's a well thought-out strategy'

Manveer Singh Malhi, vice president and national digital head, Concept PR
There are two aspects to his move. Firstly, he is well established on Twitter. But that's a professional account, which is to keep up with the likes of Anand Mahindra and Kumar Mangalam Birla, who are also very active. Secondly, the Instagram account shows him in a different light - a soft side, which we haven't seen before, evident when he speaks about the dog he has had for 14 years. Since the medium is visual, the way he approaches the communication is different. I think it's a well thought-out strategy, and he is making sure that the content is different from what goes up on Twitter. Otherwise, why would you follow him here? He has also invested in a bunch of start-ups, so it could be soft promotions space for them too.
Tip for Tata: Improve the quality of pictures. Follow what's trending on Insta (but I'm not sure if that will go with the personality of a respected individual).

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