TATA Group

The Tata Group () is an Indian multinational conglomerate group of companies headquartered in Mumbai. Established in 1868, it is India's largest business conglomerate, with products and services in over 160 countries, and operations in 100 countries.

There are total 29 publicly listed Tata Group companies with a combined market capitalisation of ₹33.7 trillion (US$403 billion) as of 20 August 2024.

History

During the cotton boom in Bombay triggered by the American Civil War, Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata and his father became involved with the Asiatic Banking Corporation. However, when the market declined, the firm faced significant financial difficulties. In 1868, the family’s fortunes improved substantially after securing a share in a profitable contract to supply the commissariat for Napier's expedition to Abyssinia. Throughout his career, Tata remained focused on four major aspirations: establishing an iron and steel company, building a landmark hotel, founding a world-class educational institution, and developing hydroelectric power.

1868–1937

In 1870, with Rs.21,000 capital, he founded a trading company. Further, he bought a bankrupt oil mill at Chinchpokli and converted it into a cotton mill, under the name Alexandra Mill, which he sold for a profit after two years. In 1874, he set up another cotton mill at Nagpur named Empress Mill. During his lifetime, in 1903, the company opened the Taj Mahal Hotel at Colaba waterfront as the first hotel with electricity in British India.

After Jamsetji's 1904 death, his older son Dorabji Tata became chairman. Sir Dorabji established the Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO), now known as Tata Steel in 1907. Marking the group's global ambitions, Tata Limited opened its first overseas office in London. Following the founder's goals, Western India's first hydro plant was brought to life, giving birth to Tata Power. Fulfilling yet another dream, the Indian Institute of Science was established, admitting its first group of students in 1911.

1938–1991

J. R. D. Tata was made chairman of the Tata Group in 1938. Under his chairmanship, the assets of the Tata Group grew from US$101 million to over US$5 billion. Starting with 14 enterprises, upon his departure half a century later in 1988, Tata Sons had grown to a conglomerate of 95 enterprises. These enterprises consisted of ventures that the company had either started or in which they held a controlling interest. New sectors such as chemicals, technology, cosmetics, marketing, engineering, manufacturing, tea, and software services earned them recognition.

In 1932, Tata founded its airline, known as Tata Air Services (later renamed Tata Airlines and then Air India). In 1953, the Government of India passed the Air Corporations Act and purchased a majority stake in the carrier from Tata Sons, though JRD Tata would continue as chairman until 1977.

In 1945, Tata Motors was founded, first focused on locomotives. In 1954, it entered the commercial vehicle market after forming a joint venture with Daimler-Benz. In 1968, Tata Consultancy Services was founded.

1991–2024

In 1991, Ratan Tata became chairman of Tata Group. This was also the year of economic liberalization in India, opening up the market to foreign competitors. During this time, Tata Group began to acquire several companies. Tata Group bought Tetley In February 2000. After that, it acquired Corus Group in 2007. The next year, the company's subsidiary Tata Motors launched the Tata Nano, presenting it as "the world’s most affordable car," and acquired Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Company.

In 2017, Natarajan Chandrasekaran was appointed chairman. He was instrumental in restructuring business verticals and increasing promoter stake ownership in companies. Under his leadership, the group made acquisitions through insolvency law and investments in e-commerce, expanded its airline business by winning a bid for Air India, and completely bought Air Asia India. He has mentioned the future strategy is to focus on healthcare, electronics, and digital.

Tata-owned Air India got approval to acquire AirAsia India nearly two months after putting forth the proposal. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) approved the acquisition of the entire shareholding in Air Asia India by Tata-owned Air India.

Chairman

The chairman of Tata Sons is usually the chairman of the Tata Group. As of 2020, there have been seven chairmen of Tata Group.
* Jamsetji Tata (1868–1904)
* Sir Dorabji Tata (1904–1932)
* Sir Nowroji Saklatwala (1932–1938)
* J. R. D. Tata (1938–1991)
* Ratan Tata (1991–2012, 2016–2017)
* Cyrus Mistry (2012–2016)
* Natarajan Chandrasekaran (2017–present)

Affiliated companies

Acquisitions

* February 2000 – Tetley Tea Company, $407 million
* March 2004 – Daewoo Commercial Vehicle Company, $102 million
* August 2004 – NatSteel's Steel business, $292 million
* November 2004 – Tyco Global Network, $130 million
* July 2005 – Teleglobe International Holdings, $239 million
* October 2005 – Good Earth Corporation
* December 2005 – Millennium Steel, Thailand, $165 million
* December 2005 – Brunner Mond Chemicals, $10 million
* June 2006 – Eight O'Clock Coffee, $220 million
* November 2006 – Ritz Carlton Boston, $170 million
* January 2007 – Corus Group, $12 billion
* March 2007 – PT Kaltim Prima Coal (KPC) (Bumi Resources), $1.1 billion
* April 2007 – Campton Place Hotel, San Francisco, $60 million
* January 2008 – Imacid Chemical Company, Morocco
* February 2008 – General Chemical Industrial Products, $1 billion
* March 2008 – Jaguar Cars and Land Rover, $2.3 billion
* March 2008 – Serviplem SA, Spain
* April 2008 – Comoplesa Lebrero SA, Spain
* May 2008 – Piaggio Aero Industries, Italy (Sold Off in 2015)
* June 2008 – China Enterprise Communications, China
* October 2008 – Miljo Grenland / Innovasjon, Norway
* April 2010 – Hewitt Robins International, United Kingdom
* July 2013 – Alti SA, France
* December 2014 – Energy Products Limited, India
* June 2016 – Welspun Renewables Energy, India
* May 2018 – Bhushan Steel Limited, India
* February 2021 – BigBasket (68%) by Tata Digital
* June 2021 – 1mg (55%) by Tata Digital
* October 2021 – Air India, Air India Express and 50% stake in Air India SATS for .
* January 2022 – Nilachala Ispat Nigam Ltd, $1.5 billion
* June 2023 – Kaleyra, Inc by Tata Communications for $100 million.
* January 2024 – Tata Consumer Products acquired (75 % ) company equity of Capital Foods, which owns the brands Ching's Secret and Smith & Jones, for Rs. 5100 Crore.

Former companies

* Tata Interactive Systems
* Tata Oil Mills Company and its subsidiary Lakmé Cosmetics
* Tata Petrodyne

Philanthropy

Tata Group has helped establish and finance numerous research, educational and cultural institutes in India, and received the Carnegie Medal of Philanthropy.

In 2008, Tata Group donated US$50 million to Cornell University for "agricultural and nutrition programs in India and for the education of Indian students at Cornell."

In 2010, Tata Group donated INR 2.20 billion (US$50 million) to Harvard Business School to build an academic and a residential building for executive education programmers on the institute's campus in Boston, Massachusetts. The building, now known as Tata Hall, is the largest endowment received by Harvard Business School from an international donor.

In 2017, Tata Trusts gifted US$70 million to University of California, San Diego and also partnered with it in setting u
Tata Institute for Genetics and Society (TIGS)
to address some of the world's most pressing issues, ranging from public health to agriculture. In recognition of the donation, the building which houses TIGS has been named Tata Hall. It is also the largest international donation made to University of California, San Diego.

In 2017, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) donated an unprecedented US$35 million grant to Carnegie Mellon University, the largest ever industry donation to the university, to collaborate on promoting next-generation technologies that will drive the Fourth Industrial Revolution, including cognitive systems and autonomous vehicles.

In 2017, the Tata Football Academy won the bid to form the Jamshedpur FC, a football club based on Jamshedpur of Jharkhand in the 4th edition of the Indian Super League.

In 2020, Tata Group has donated INR 15 billion to PM Cares Fund to fight against COVID-19 pandemic in India.

In 2024, The Tata Trusts Small Animal Hospital in Mumbai is a new animal welfare effort that Ratan Tata has started. This hospital, which is scheduled to open in March 2024, will be an innovative facility committed to provide modern medical care for pets, including dogs, cats, and rabbits. Ratan Tata is personally passionate about the idea, which was sparked by his own pet-related experiences.

Tata Trusts

Most of the philanthropic activities of the group are carried out by various trusts incorporated by the members of the Tata family.

# Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts
#* Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
#* Lady Tata Memorial Trust
#* JRD Tata Trust
#* Jamsetji Tata Trust
#* Tata Social Welfare Trust
#* JN Tata Endowment
#* Tata Education Trust
#* RD Tata Trust
#* The JRD and Thelma J Tata Trust
# Sir Ratan Tata Trust & Allied Trusts
#* Sir Ratan Tata Trust
#* Tata Education and Development Trust
#* Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust
#* Bai Hirabai J. N. Tata Navsari Charitable Institution
#* Sarvajanik Seva Trust

Controversies

The company has attracted controversy for reports of political corruption, cronyism, theft, mass killings, and exploitation of its customers, Indian citizens, and natural resources.

Munnar, Kerala

The Kerala Government filed an affidavit in the high court alleging that Tata Tea had "grabbed" forest land of at Munnar. The Tatas provided that they possessed of land, which they are allowed to retain under the Kannan Devan Hill (Resumption of Lands) Act, 1971, and there was a shortage of in that. The Chief Minister of Kerala V.S. Achuthanandan, who vowed to evict all on government land in Munnar, formed a special squad for the Munnar land takeover mission and started acquiring back properties. However, the mission was aborted due to both influential landholders and opposition from Achuthanandan's own party.

Kalinganagar, Odisha

On 2 January 2006, Kalinganagar, Tribal Orissa villagers protested against the construction of a new steel plant for Tata Steel on land historically owned by them. Some of the villagers had been evicted without adequate relocation. Police retribution was brutal: 37 protesters were injured and 13 killed, including 3 women and a 13-year-old boy. One policeman was hacked to death by a mob after police had opened fire on protestors with tear gas and rubber bullets. Family members of the deceased villagers later claimed that the bodies had been mutilated during post-mortem examination.

Supplies to Burma's military regime

In December 2006, Myanmar's chief of general staff, General Thura Shwe Mann, visited the Tata Motors plant in Pune. In 2009, Tata Motors announced that it would manufacture trucks in Myanmar. Tata Motors reported that these contracts to supply hardware and automobiles to Burma's military were subsequently criticised by human rights activists.

Singur land acquisition

The Singur controversy in West Bengal was a series of protests by locals and political parties over the forced acquisition, eviction, and inadequate compensation to those farmers displaced for the Tata Nano plant, during which Mamata Banerjee's party was widely criticised as acting for political gain. Despite the support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) state government, Tata eventually pulled the project out of West Bengal, citing safety concerns. Narendra Modi, then Chief Minister of Gujarat, made land available for the Nano project.

On 31 August 2016, in a historic judgement, the Honorable Supreme Court of India set aside the land acquisition by the West Bengal Government in 2006 that had facilitated Tata Motors' Nano plant, stating that the West Bengal government had not taken possession of the land legally, and were now required to repossess and return it to local farmers within 12 weeks without compensation.

Dhamra Port, Odisha

The Port of Dhamara has received significant coverage, sparking controversy in India, and in Tata's emerging global markets. The Dhamra port, an equal joint venture between Tata Steel and Larsen & Toubro, has been criticised for its proximity to the Gahirmatha Sanctuary and Bhitarkanika National Park by Indian and international organisations, including Greenpeace; Gahirmatha Beach is one of the world's largest mass nesting sites for the olive ridley turtle, and India's second largest mangrove forest, Bhitarkanika, is a designated Ramsar site

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