The word Tata is tantamount to excellence, innovation, leadership and community service. Tata group has done more to India than any other group has done to any other country in the world. It is not an exaggeration. A comment from a Viceroy of India about Tata still holds true. It is just a drop in a sea of ocean one hears about Tata Group. From the very modest beginnings, Tata has always given the best to the nation.
Tata is a name so synonymous that every Indian uses a minimum of one product by Tata Group in a direct or indirect way. Tata?s have always been entrepreneurial and have focused on wealth-creation with a community-sense. Tata has done yeoman service to India in many ways from salt to export quality trucks. I shall try to cover as much as possible in this review.
Born to a studious, conservative Parsi family, Jamshedji Tata started a journey that has changed Indian landscape and set a path-breaking example of leadership with trust. This trust and ethical governance has made Tata a role model to emulate. What Jamshedji Tata started was a parallel effort to Indian Freedom struggle movement. It was a methodology to make India excel. Just freedom will not make a country move forward but excellence in education, economy and industry will. The Tatas have done exactly that.
Tata?s industrial presence is inimitable in the entire world. Tata?s put IT in India?s roadmap. Today IT contributes 21% to India?s GDP(Will grow higher) and has given India a clear recognition and name for excellence. Without the vision of Tata?s vision to start TCS in 1968, the concept of IT would not have reached India that early and surely, we may be at a different status now. With TCS issuing the largest private IPO issue in the history of the country, the Tata group has created the largest wealth in India.
Indian Civil Aviation started largely due to the passion of JRD. Tata group ran the now beleaguered Air India once. It had an impeccable 100% punctuality during its early days. There was a well known anecdote flying around in the olden days that people in Amsterdam airport set their watches based on the take off and landing of AI flights at the airport!
Tata group has given the best institutions to the country. Indian Institute of Science was started by Jamshedji Tata and was called as Tata Institute. IISc is the best science school in India. Tata Institute of Fundamental Research has done a lot of service to Nuclear and Science community. Tata Group of Industries started Tata Management Training Center, Tata Administrative Services and many more institutes that are exceptional. Lot of exceptional individuals, CEOs, Scientists, researchers, Administrators are the products of these exceptional institutions.
I have listened to the following through word of mouth. When Jamshedji Tata went to England for his erudition, he saw a board that stated, ?Dogs and Indians not allowed?. Being a true patriot himself, he was very much disturbed. Upon his return, he built one of the best hotels in India or the world for that matter, which has been photographed in many ways and is a perennial montage item of the great city of Mumbai, ?The Taj?. If Taj Mahal was the result of a man?s love for his wife, the Taj Mahal hotel is the result of a man?s love for his country. It is also a symbol of an act of disapproval for discrimination of any sorts. Taj Group of Hotels is also one of the most profitable and exceptional one in the hospitality industry.
Integrity and strong business ethic is also forte of this great organization. When the Tata Finance fiasco happened, it happened largely due to few individuals non-adherence to the policy. This happens everywhere. I cannot recall a single incident where Tata Group has resorted to any fishy scenarios. Leadership with Trust is the motto of this great corporation and they live by it. The Tata Code of Conduct is a classy illustration in imbibing the good thoughts in the minds of the individuals.
Many say Tata group is an old elephant and it is difficult to make it dance. Well, you are very wrong. Take the case of Tata Motors where there was a complete reform and it is one of the leading companies. (The strength reduced almost by a third). Like the great GE, Tata group is also capable of doing massive restructuring while delivering great innovation (the first indigenous ?INDI(an/genous) CA(r) (INDICA)? with Euro V2). The day is not far when we will get to see the 1-lakh car in our roads. We trust our leaders. The leaders always have a tryst with destiny. This tryst will hold our trust.
Tata group is also very sensible in letting non-profitable businesses go. TOMCO is an old example I can think of. Though conservative by some standards and mindsets, the Tata Group is a case of exceptional strategic planning. After all, they lead the industry in many scintillating plans.
Tata Group?s service to the community is immeasurable and inimitable. I shall try to include as many clichéd examples as possible in comments. Be it
♥ Development of a full-blown city (Jamshedpur) from nowhere,
♥ Continuous power supply to a buzzing metro (Mumbai, power from Tata Electric),
♥ Sports academies for budding sportsmen,
♥ scholarships for the best talent in the nation,
♥ Community help at the time of national tragedy,
♥ Adult literacy campaigns
♥ strict governance policy and not yielding to corruption
♥ Myriad of excellent hospitals of excellence
♥ Myriad of donations to nation building causes
I can go on and on and on
There are a lot of quipping for Tata?s being very conservative and all. If you visit the website, you will see many real facts contradicting the myths floating around. This is due to the staying away from the routine route of many organizations (of unwanted hype creation by many companies and ending up disappointing the shareholders and customers).
Tata Groups Business Excellence Model and the Quality Venture based on Malcolm Baldridge Model is a matter of pride and it is one of the driving forces of their group companies. The high standards set forth for every type of industry lets them make the products of highest quality. The services are the best too and are liked by the customer.
July 29th is the birth centenary of JRD Tata, who is a stalwart of Indian Business circle. A great aviator and a master executive, he has taken the legacy of Jamshedji Tata to a new height. Now Ratan Tata is doing the same and the legacy continues. The crown jewel of the Tata group, TCS is offering the much-awaited IPO. It is true that the shareholders will get tons of money in the years to come in the near future.
There can be many big organizations in the world. There can be only one Tata group. A group that is unparalleled it stands as tall as the Mount Everest. Tata Group indeed leads with trust. The services to India by the Tata Group is simply awe-inspiring. Tata group ? It?s a consummate legacy!
I dedicate this review to a great Icon of India, a man of integrity, a leading light of excellence, an epitome of corporate leadership. JRD Tata
I hope you liked this review. Do comment if time permits.
KALIL
