Founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868, the Tata group is a global
enterprise, headquartered in India, comprising over 100 independent
operating companies. The group operates in more than 100 countries
across six continents, with a mission 'To improve the quality of life of
the communities we serve globally, through long-term stakeholder value
creation based on Leadership with Trust'.
Tata Sons is the principal investment holding company and promoter of
Tata companies. Sixty-six percent of the equity share capital of Tata
Sons is held by philanthropic trusts, which support education, health,
livelihood generation and art and culture. In 2014-15, the revenue of
Tata companies, taken together, was $108.78 billion. These companies
collectively employ over 600,000 people.
Each Tata company or enterprise operates independently under the
guidance and supervision of its own board of directors and shareholders.
There are 29 publicly-listed Tata enterprises with a combined market
capitalisation of about $116.41 billion (as on March 31, 2016). Tata
companies with significant scale include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata
Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Chemicals, Tata Global Beverages,
Tata Teleservices, Titan, Tata Communications and Indian Hotels.
Many Tata companies have achieved global leadership in their
businesses. For instance, Tata Communications is #1 international
wholesale voice provider and Tata Motors is among the top ten commercial
vehicle manufacturers in the world. Tata Steel is among the top fifteen
best steelmakers and TCS is the second largest IT services company in
the world by market cap and profit. Tata Global Beverages is the
second-largest tea company in the world and Tata Chemicals is the
world’s second-largest manufacturer of soda ash. Employing a diverse
workforce in their operations, Tata companies have made significant
local investments in different geographies.
In tandem with the increasing international footprint of Tata
companies, the Tata brand is also gaining international recognition.
Tata companies bring to their customers worldwide a whole host of
reputed brands which touch their lives every day. Brand Finance, a
UK-based consultancy firm, has valued Tata’s multi-brand portfolio at
over $23 billion in 2015.
With its pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit, the Tata group has
spawned several industries of national importance in India: steel,
hydro-power, hospitality and airlines. The same spirit, coupled with
innovativeness, has been displayed by entities such as TCS, India’s
first software company, and Tata Motors, which made India’s first
indigenously developed car, the Tata Indica and the smart city car, the
Tata Nano. Pursuit of excellence has similarly been manifested in recent
innovations like the SilentTrack technology developed by Tata Steel
Europe and the next-generation Terrain Response, including infrared
laser scanning to predict terrain, and Wade Aid to predict water depth,
by Jaguar Land Rover.
The Tata trusts, majority shareholders of Tata Sons, have endowed
institutions for science and technology, medical research, social
studies and the performing arts. The trusts also provide aid and
assistance to non-government organisations working in the areas of
education, health care and livelihoods. Tata companies themselves
undertake a wide range of social welfare activities, especially at the
locations of their operations, as also deploy sustainable business
practices.
Going forward, Tata companies are building multinational businesses
that seek to differentiate themselves through customer-centricity,
innovation, entrepreneurship, trustworthiness and values-driven business
operations, while balancing the interests of diverse stakeholders
including shareholders, employees and civil society.
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