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PASSIONS PROFESSIONS
SIX EMPLOYEES TALK ABOUT THEIR PASSION FOR THEIR JOBS
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Contents
in The newS
M y S pa C e
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phoTo gallery
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Joyful wonders
A round-up of major news and events in the Tata group from January to April 2012 52 53 54
iniTiaTive
evenTS
Cover STory
Tata First Dot, powered by NEN Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2012 Defexpo 2012 Tata Women@work Tata Innovista 2012 Tata Young Expressions
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SpeCial SeCTion
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experienCe
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The team Editor: Cynthia Rodrigues Assistant editor: Jai Wadia Sub editor: Sheetal Gaikwad Design: Ashwini Baviskar, Sonal Sonavane and Sudipta Sarkar Edited and created by in association with The Information Company
JANUARY
ary anu J
L-R: Devender Singh, joint secretary, Ministry of Power; Ashok Lavasa, additional secretary, Ministry of Power; Praveen Kadle, MD and CEO, Tata Capital, and Dr Ajay Mathur, director general, BEE, at the signing of the MoU
RK Krishna Kumar (left), vice chairman, Tata Global Beverages, and director, Tata Sons, with John Culver, president, Starbucks China and Asia Pacific, at the signing of the contract
JANUARY
JANUARY
Bhaskar Bhat, MD, Titan Industries, is the 4th Best CEO in India
Bhaskar Bhat, MD, Titan Industries, was ranked the 4th Best CEO in India in the first-ever ranking of Indian CEOs, based on the long-term shareholder returns they generate, in a study conducted by Business Today, INSEAD and Harvard Business Review. Mr Bhat was also awarded the ET Retail Personality of the Year award at the ET Retail Awards 2011.
Ramanathan Ramanan (second from left), MD and CEO, CMC, with the Golden Peacock Innovative Product / Service Award N Chandrasekaran receiving the award from Pranab Mukherjee, Union Finance Minister
N Chandrasekaran, CEO and MD, Tata Consultancy Services, was named the NDTV Business Leader of the Year at the NDTV Profit Business Leadership Awards 2011. The awards have been instituted to recognise organisational excellence.
JANUARY
L-R: Harish Bhat, COO, Watches Division, Titan Industries; Bhaskar Bhat, MD, Titan Industries, and C Srinivasan, vice president, Sonata, sport the new collection
JANUARY
Ranjan Bandyopadhyay (second from left), global HR head, TCS BPO Services, receives the award on behalf of TCS from Union Minister for Corporate Affairs Dr M Veerappa Moily (fourth from left)
february
ary bru Fe
NourishCo Beverages launches Tata Water Plus
NourishCo Beverages, the joint venture between Tata Global Beverages and PepsiCo, launched Tata Water Plus, Indias first nutrient water. Priced at `16 for a 750-ml Pet bottle, Tata Water Plus is the only water of its kind in India, which is nutritionally rich.
L-R: Shikha Sharma, MD and CEO, Axis Bank, with Praveen Kadle, MD and CEO, Tata Capital, at the launch
february
Tata Power commissions power project; Coastal Gujarat Power achieves full load
Tata Power announced the successful commissioning of its 25MW solar photovoltaic power project under Gujarats Solar Power Policy 2009, through its subsidiary, Tata Power Renewable Energy. Spread over 100 acres of land, the solar plant is located at Mithapur in Gujarat. In another development, Coastal Gujarat Powers ultra mega power project in Mundra, Gujarat, achieved full load on Unit 1, Indias first 800-MW sized, super critical unit.
february
february
Sanjiv Paul (extreme left), VP, corporate services, Tata Steel, receives the award from Anand Sharma, Union Minister for Commerce, Industry and Textiles
TCS recognised
The Greater Paris Investment Agency conferred on TCS the Prix spcial de linnovation de Paris-Ile de France Capitale Economique 2011 (Special Innovation Prize 2011 of Paris, the economic capital of the Ile-De France region). TCS was recognised for its innovative technology services in France.
Ranjith Kareparamb (left), deputy manager, operations, and Prasad Sakharkar, assistant manager, marketing, Roots Corporation, received the Golden Star award
Employees of Tata Steel Processing and Distribution with some children from UDBHAS
march
rch Ma
Tata Advanced Systems forms strategic alliance
Tata Advanced Systems formed a strategic alliance with ITT Exelis to support Generation (Gen) 3 night vision requirements in India. ITT Exelis and Tata Advanced Systems will partner to supply manufacturing capabilities in India, and provide maintenance and lifecycle support for Gen 3 night vision products.
Vijay Malik (extreme left), general manager, defence and security, Tata Advanced Systems, with Michael Lee, director of Contracts for night vision business area at ITT Exelis
march
N Chandrasekaran, CEO and MD, Tata Consultancy Services, addresses the audience at the inauguration
march
Anupam Misra (third from right), president, Concorde Motors, receives the award from AA Azeez, member of the Legislative Assembly, Quilon, Kerala
march
Praveer Sinha was appointed chief executive officer and executive director of Tata Power Delhi Distribution with effect from March 1.
april
pril A
L-R: Thomas Garner, CEO, Cennergi; Sipho Nkosi, CEO, Exxaro; Anil Sardana, managing director, Tata Power, and Kevin Nassiep, Department of Energy, at the signing ceremony
L-R: Ashvini Hiran, COO, Consumer Products Division, Tata Chemicals; Shekhar Gupta, editor-in-chief, Indian Express; Yogesh Lakhani, CEO, Bright Outdoor, and Amrita Dey, AGM, marketing, water purifier business, Tata Chemicals, at the function
april
B Muthuraman (extreme right), vice chairman, Tata Steel, receives the award from Pratibha Patil, the President of India
B Muthuraman, vice chairman, Tata Steel, received the Padma Bhushan award from Pratibha Patil, the President of India, in the trade and industry category at the Rashtrapati Bhawan, New Delhi.
Rajendra Bhinge, CEO, Tata Strategic Management Group (TSMG), was appointed a whole-time director of Tata Industries with effect from April 1, and designated executive director. Mr Bhinge will continue to direct and supervise the business of TSMG, a division of Tata Industries, and handle responsibilities entrusted to him by the board of directors of the company.
N Chandrasekaran (second from left), CEO and MD, TCS, speaking as part of the panel on India and Global Growth: Outlook for 2012-2016
Tata Sons, TCS, Tata Steel, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), China, and Taj Hotels joined hands as platinum sponsors for the event. Tata companies entered their fifth consecutive year of partnership with the Boao Forum. Senior Tata executives who attended the forum included S Ramadorai, vice chairman, TCS; N Chandrasekaran, CEO and MD, TCS; Girija Pande, chairman, TCS, Asia Pacific; Yannick Poupon, COO, Taj Hotels; James Zhan, group chief representative, Tata Sons, China; Richard Zhang, EVP, JLR China, and Qiqi Dong, CEO, TCS, China.
april
Tata Housing bags awards at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2012
Tata Housing Development Company received five awards under various categories at the Asia Pacific Property Awards 2012. Tata Housing is Indias only residential developer to receive the prestigious five-star award in the Leisure Architecture category for La Montana; highly-commended awards in the Show Home category for Prive and Primanti; highly-commended award in the Development Marketing category for La Montana, and highly-commended developer website for www.lamontana.co.in.
april
april
c o vv e r ss t o r y co er tory
Passions Professions
For many individuals, their passions and their professions happily overlap, giving them a pleasing thrill in their daily working lives. We highlight the stories of six such individuals working in various Tata companies around the globe
i like to create magical moments for our guests
He is your quintessential Man Friday with a difference. He goes beyond the call of duty and adds a personal touch to every request small or big, trivial or significant in order to delight and dazzle the guests staying at the iconic Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. As chef concierge of the hotel, satish Gaikwad has to ensure that he and his team fulfil the requests of all their guests. They always do this with aplomb and style, two characteristics of the Taj brand of hospitality. Besides giving the guests information about the facilities at the hotel, booking tickets for shows, guiding them to the best restaurants and around the city, the role of a concierge has evolved to include fulfilling all kinds of requests that guests may make. In the last five years, Mr Gaikwad has had to deal with a wide range of requests, from purchasing Ayurvedic medicine for a guests ailing mother, to shipping out 15-feet tall lamps to Dubai, and even hunting for a guests lost teddy bear. And he does it all with a smile. As the head concierge, I cannot say no to any of our guests requests, he explains. We do buy time if its a difficult task, but in the end we manage to fulfil most of the requests. Mr Gaikwad started his career in the hospitality industry when he joined the hotel in 1995 straight after school. He started with a part-time job wrapping chocolates at the pastry shop. Later, he moved to other departments at the hotel. He has also worked as a butler and bartender at 1900s, a famous discotheque at the Taj in those days. Over the years, I got a lot of exposure in different departments. But I would always wistfully long for the Golden Keys that I saw the head concierge wearing, he explains. In 2008, he finally got the chance to work at the concierge desk. Its a very interesting job. No two days are alike and there is no monotony in the job, says Mr Gaikwad. My day begins at 9am when we first take stock of the car fleet at the hotel; later we look at the guest list, familiarise ourselves with their requirements and set out to fulfil their requests. There is no school where one can learn to become a concierge; the learning happens on the job.
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As the chef concierge, Satish Gaikwad of Taj Hotels loves to fulfil his guests requests
Taj is associated with the prestigious Union Internationale des Concierges Hotels, or Les Clefs dOr, the international association of concierges worldwide. Mr Gaikwad has been given the full membership Golden Key pins in recognition of his service par excellence. He very proudly wears these on the lapels of his long black coat. As a concierge, he has to be well informed about the city and keep abreast of all the latest information and happenings so as to be able to guide his guests, thus ensuring that their visit is a memorable one. A concierge is like an encyclopedia and serves as the face of the hotel. One of the most unusual requests that he has received from a guest was when a princess staying with them wanted to buy an autorickshaw! Mr Gaikwad says, We traced a vendor in Pune and put him in touch with the princess personal butler. In the case of the guest who lost his daughters teddy bear, at first Mr Gaikwads team wondered what a grown man was doing with it, but when they learned from the guest that it was his daughters most prized possession and was given to him whenever he travelled, they went all out to find it. When they found it, they photographed the teddy bear in different spots in the hotel and also at the Gateway of India, made an album of the photographs, captioned them and presented it to
the guest to give to his daughter. The guest was most thrilled by the gesture. Creativity, lots of patience and good networking skills are important when working at the concierge desk, explains Mr Gaikwad. I like to create magical moments for our guests, to see the smiles on their faces after fulfilling their requests, and to make sure that they have had a very memorable stay at the Taj! n
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whizzing off at top speeds. There is a lot of work that goes into making a vehicle road-ready. A typical day for Mr Kulkarni would begin with a meeting with the engineers to discuss development issues and potential solutions with them. Even as the shop team evaluates the viability of these solutions, Mr Kulkarni goes through the data collected on the previous day. The data is used to ensure that the vehicle is adequately protected against failure in normal and extended use, thereby minimising inconvenience to passengers and other road users. This data could include the measurement of various physical parameters like temperature, flow, vehicle response parameters, and current and voltages. Based on the analysis of these parameters, it is possible to create controlled changes within the driving environment to effectively meet customer requirements. Later, a test driver would evaluate the effect of the changes on the cars. Mr Kulkarni says, The tests range from laboratory tests to actual drive tests on test tracks. We have specifically designed drive patterns / surfaces that enable us to isolate the influence of parameters other than those being evaluated. These assessments help to fine-tune the vehicle. The road from blueprint design to prototype manufacture and then to production- and roadworthiness is a long one. During this development process, a test driver needs to have sharp faculties to understand vehicle behaviour and make adjustments
in case something goes wrong. The test driver keeps the manufacturing process firmly focused on the customer, says Mr Kulkarni. Even after the car is manufactured, Mr Kulkarni and his team continue to address customer feedback and manufacturing complexities. They also work in areas such as value engineering, integrated cost management and quality improvement, which ensure future sustainability. Another challenge involves continuously evolving scenarios in which the vehicle might be abused. This helps the team to work out ways to preempt and counter issues. The biggest challenge, says Mr Kulkarni, is to be consistent over a period of time. Automobile development projects are long-lead time projects. If the assessments are inconsistent, they can lead to changes which will demand a heavy price in terms of development cost and time, he adds. Over the past 18 years, Mr Kulkarni has had the privilege of working on all the passenger cars to have come out of the Tata Motors stable, including the Tata Nano. He says, As the development of the Nano progressed, we rigorously tested its ride and handling, durability and performance. It gave us a thrill to know that we were doing something that no other company had been successful at until then. It is these small and big perks of the job that have enabled Mr Kulkarni to convert his passion for cars into a very satisfying career. n
Anand Kulkarni of Tata Technologies is thrilled with the opportunity to make a successful career out of his passion for cars
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Following this, the tea taster slurps the tea through a special soup-like spoon where the tea is judged for the strength, flavour, body or the presence of any non-tea components. To ensure that the judging is close to the normal experience of tea drinking, the crockery used for the tasting is always made of porcelain. Additionally, tea tasting is always done during the day when the sun is sufficiently bright to give the best results. Ms Mukunu-Leiyan also warns against any distractions during the tasting sessions. All the attributes of the tea are measured and graded by the tea taster against TGBs pre-decided standards of colour, sparkle, body and zing. The work of a tea taster is most critical for TGB because it helps the company gauge the quality of the tea and the price that it is prepared to pay. Ms Mukunu-Leiyan elaborates, The graded teas are made available to the company as an offer to buy them, citing their quantities in total and the price they will fetch in the auction. These are analysed by the Worldwide Tea Buying and Blending team in the UK and orders are given according to the requirements of the group. The work of a tea taster is particularly significant because the Tetley brand brings in 50 percent of its constituent from Africa. Ms Mukunu-Leiyans work is crucial as it helps the company determine the quality and the price of the tea it purchases, and helps it to maintain the high standards associated with the brand. Ms Mukunu-Leiyans role does not end there. She is involved in the business of blending and shipping the tea after purchase, and strives to work towards overall improvements in quality. She adds, We keep in touch with the producers of tea, especially those who are producing our target types. We advise them when a tea is weak and encourage them when it is of a high standard. And how does she relax after all that work? Why, with a cup of tea, of course flavourful and thick, brewed with the right combination of milk and sugar. n
Anne Mukunu-Leiyan of Tata Global Beverages is fascinated by the art of tea tasting
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a lot by the locals including the women. The safari vehicles were old and tough to manoeuvre with no handbrakes or power steering and no four-wheel drive.It was like driving a tractor, says Ms Singh. Besides the difficulties of the job, even living in the lodge in a rural area like Kanha without a family can be very isolating, says Ms Singh. Not everyone would enjoy such a life. Ms Singh has been doing this now for the last five years and is quite happy being in her own company. In her off-duty hours, she enjoys reading, exercising and listening to music. Ms Singh has dared to take the road less travelled and has helped pave the way for other women to follow suit. After seeing her work at Banjaar Tola, many of the forest officials there now have similar aspirations for their daughters. I hope to do more of conservation and community development in the future because that is what I see myself doing. I will forever be associated with the jungle. I dont think I can survive in the city, she says. n
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matching earrings, standalone earrings, bangles, layered chains and rings. Our approach to Mia was totally different because it was for an altogether different consumer segment, says Mr Rastogi. After extensive research and field tests, two target groups evolved 23- to 28-year-old and 28- to 35-year-old working women and accordingly two design inspirations emerged. Mr Rastogi avers: For the first group, our design inspiration was called Quest, signifying an undying urge to achieve something in life. This was reflected in the minimalistic, contemporary designs. For the second group, it was Blossom, for women with more sophisticated and mature tastes, which was mirrored in the floral cut-out designs. A typical day for Mr Rastogi involves a lot of multi-tasking as at any point in time, he is working on multiple collections at various stages in their life cycle.I have a very satisfying job profile, he says. I am lucky to work in this domain because you never feel bored as every collection has a fresh approach. Mr Rastogis role as a design manager is to contribute to brand perception by meeting the overall objective set by the senior management. He adds, Design is a significant aspect of building the brand image and the product merchandise mix. Collections are our key strength and I play an important role in defining the collection, its inspirations, and styling. n
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Its one of those fine things in life that you have to experience
The heady and robust aroma and taste of coffee are what give this young gentleman a kick. For Sunil Pinto, assistant manager in the quality control department of Tata Coffees dry mill at Kushalnagar, Karnataka, coffee tasting is not merely a job, its also his passion. Mr Pintos parents own a coffee plantation in Kodagu (Coorg). After completing a postgraduate diploma from the Coffee Board of India, Mr Pinto joined Caf Coffee Day, where he learned more about the whole process of brewing coffee. He joined Tata Coffee two years ago and is responsible for ensuring the quality of the green coffee produced by the company. His day begins at 8am when he gets ready to taste his first cup of coffee for the day. The process of judging and grading the quality of the coffee entails checking visual attributes like colour, uniformity, moisture content and defects, besides the characteristics of its flavour, by tasting or cupping the coffee. The process begins with picking up the smooth-tothe-touch coffee beans and waiting for the sample roaster to reach the right temperature before introducing the carefully selected beans in it. He then occasionally samples them to see the changing colours and flavours. The sweet aroma of freshly-roasted coffee fills the room and Mr Pinto cant wait to take a sip. Once the roasting is over, he allows the beans to rest and de-gas. This is generally done overnight and the beans are allowed to rest till morning. They are then ground and brewed by pouring boiled water over the ground coffee and allowing it to steep for around six to seven minutes. During this time, you break the crust that forms, allowing the coffee to emit its fragrance and then once the brew has cooled down, the tasting begins, he explains. Mr Pinto slurps a spoonful of the brew and takes his time to note the different characteristics and flavours before spitting it out. This process of slurping, evaluating and spitting is repeated till he collects enough information about all the parameters that are required to evaluate the quality of the coffee. Tasting coffee is a focused process and Mr Pinto likes to work in a peaceful, quiet place without any distractions an airy room with lots of natural light. For me, tasting coffee is not just about taking a sip, swishing it around your mouth and then spitting its one of those fine things in life that you have to experience, he
Sunil Pinto of Tata Coffee believes in involving all his senses when tasting coffee
happily explains. The more you involve all your senses, the more you appreciate, enjoy and learn. Initially, the coffee at the Tata Coffee factory is tasted from the perspective of a producer and grower, and each lot is catalogued based on customer preferences. Once the coffee is warehoused, re-tasting is done. This time the coffee is evaluated from a buyers point of view. As a coffee taster, it is important to understand the link between the producing and consuming sides of the business, and it is very interesting to taste the same coffee from different perspectives, says Mr Pinto. During the harvest season, Mr Pinto has to taste 30 samples a day, which means swishing around in his mouth around 100-120 cups of coffee! He avoids extremely spicy food and strong flavours and extreme temperatures before a tasting session. Being a coffee taster has helped him to refine his taste as a consumer not just for coffee but for anything that he eats or drinks. While he enjoys tasting and drinking different types of good coffee both at work and as a consumer, and is happy in his vocation, his day is incomplete without a cup of the sweet and not-very-strong coffee brewed by his mother! n
InItIatIve
Bhaskar Bhat (ninth from right), MD, Titan Industries, and president, TSC, with the winners and runners up of the chess tournament
InItIatIve
activities of TSC. Besides helping and encouraging employees to excel in various sports, Tata Sangam has helped create strong bonds among Tata employees across companies as they network with each other to organise the event. Tata Sangam 2012 This year, about 30 individuals and teams auditioned for the variety entertainment programme held at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association Stadium at Cubbon Park on January 21. Ten of these were selected to perform at Tata Sangam. Some excellent performances were put up, including karagattam, an Indian folk dance by Anto Jauspher from Titan Industries; a hip hop solo song by Girish Kumar from Tata Business Support Services; a solo western dance by TCS employee Sneha Jha; fashion shows by teams from TCS and Tata Sky; a puppet show by William Menezes and his team from Tata DOCOMO, and a dance performance by the team from Tata Consulting Engineers. The event began with a welcome address given by Mr Vedavyas. This was followed by the lighting of the inaugural lamp by Mr Bhat, who spoke a few words about Tata Sangam and welcomed the chief guest of the event Satish Pradhan, chief, Group HR. While addressing the large gathering, Mr Pradhan said that it was amazing to see so much energy among Tata employees. He applauded the event as a great initiative to bring Tata employees together. Ms Nagendra then presented a report on the activities of TSC through the year. Awards were then given to employees and their children who had won in sports competitions and other contests in 2011. The highlight of the event was the lucky draw selection of raffle prizes. Several Tata companies had lent their support to the event by providing their products and services as prizes the biggest attraction being the Tata Nano. Explaining the rationale behind Tata Sangam, Mr Bhat said: We all have a strong feeling of being a Tata employee at the workplace the idea was to carry this feeling outside the job as well. It is important to get everyone together in a happy situation and showcase what Tata companies do. Family members are also proud of their spouses, parents or children, and it is important to involve them as well. There is a feeling of pride also because of the sense of integrity which is an innate part of working in the group. The event is all about people getting together not as professionals but as human beings who like to entertain and be entertained.
Tata Sangam is growing every year. Last year saw the participation of 2,500 employees; this year the numbers had more than doubled. An event management company was hired to take care of the logistics, but the event could not have been organised so well without the support of the organising committee members and volunteers from different Tata companies, who worked night and day to make the event a success. Tata Sangam is like a magnet that brings employees together. This year we wanted to attract more and more young employees, and so we had to be very contemporary in what we did at the event to draw them in, added Mr Bhat. Medha Gupta, assistant manager, HR, Vivanta by Taj MG Road, Bengaluru, is one of the employees who passed in the audition and was selected to sing a solo song at the final event. This is the first time I got an opportunity to sing in public and it was a wonderful experience, she said. The team from Tata AIG General Insurance Company has been enthusiastically participating in Tata Sangam for the last three years. Team members Gautam Kumar, Deepak Prakash, Sweni Mandiwala, Sreejaya Jaishankar and Derlin DCosta were bubbling with energy after their Bollywood medley performance this year. One of them said: We are so buried in our work that we dont get time to see beyond it. Tata Sangam is a good way of helping us lighten up, meet people, get to know more about the group. It also gives us an opportunity to take part in a cultural event for the first time after college! Several Tata companies had put up their stalls at the event to create awareness about their products and services. Some of these were Concorde Motors, Drive India Enterprise Solutions, Tata BP Solar, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Sky, Tata Steel, Tata Teleservices, Titan Industries and others. The finale of the programme was a dinner sponsored by Taj Hotels. n Jai Wadia
InItIatIve
Mr Bhat felicitates the winners of the ladies cricket team, which consisted of employees from Tata Consulting Engineers, Tata Power, Titan Industries and TCS
Employees from Tata Consulting Engineers being felicitated by chief guest Satish Pradhan (centre), chief, Group HR, and Mr Bhat for winning the badminton and carrom tournaments
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t is impolite to talk while you are eating so children are taught at school. In our very typical Punjabi household, where food is always a celebration, we never followed that rule. Mealtimes at our place were never a dull affair. There was a lot of noise and excitement, with everyone talking about how their day had gone and sharing stories. My mother, a school teacher, would not have time to prepare an elaborate meal on weekdays. So Sundays, whether at home or at the home of my Nani (maternal grandmother), were very special. Mom and Nani would lovingly prepare an elaborate meal consisting of the choicest of Punjabi vegetarian dishes. Punjabis are not vegetarian, but my family was, for religious reasons. So we augmented our protein intake with paneer (see glossary).
Our Sunday spread would include chhole bhature, rajma rice and a paneer dish, baingan bharta, baby potatoes dipped in amchur and cooked in ghee before serving, kaali dal and store-bought aloo ka papad. All this while the hot rotis kept coming in. Of these, rajma rice, the paneer dishes and the kadhi pakodis used to be my favourites. I also enjoyed the food that was cooked during festivals like Navratri and Baisakhi. My mother believed in keeping our traditions alive. Onion and garlic were not used during this period. During Navratri, she used to make puri, sheera, rongi and chhole, rassewale aloo and boondi raita. We used to offer this meal to the goddess. Once the rituals were completed, that food would be eaten by the household. The speciality of Punjabi cuisine is that the tadka of mustard and cumin seeds, curry leaves, garlic, ginger, onion and tomato is a must. Curds are used for flavouring. At home, Mom and Nani would always cook food in rich homemade ghee, made from buffalos milk. I dont ever recall them cooking food in oil. Nani came from Amritsar, where it was
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Stuffed paratha
Onion bhajiyas
Gajar ka halwa
Baingan bharta
believed that ghee gave you the strength needed to cope with the chilly winters. Everything we ate and drank was homemade, including the lassi and paneer. I dont remember eating processed chips as a child. Mom and Nani would make chips and ketchup at home. Even the masalas that they used were ground at home using a stone mortar and pestle. A lot of effort was taken to make good food available to the family. Despite her work schedule, Mom found time to make us a good breakfast. We used to have all kinds of stuffed parathas, including aloo, gobi, shalgam, gajar, muli and lachha paratha. These were topped with homemade ghee and served with raita, dahi or pickle. The parathas were six inches in diameter and half-an-inch thick. Our breakfast was a full meal. Occasionally we also had double roti, which is basically sliced bread, with a generous application of butter and homemade ghee, which we used to mildly roast on a hot griddle before serving.
Winters were a time when a lot of Punjabi food specialities were made. My Nani, who lived very close to our home in Mumbai, used to make a lot of vegetable pickles in winter. She made pickles out of carrots and turnips, among other things. She would put in the spice powders, rock salt and mustard oil, and let the whole thing ferment in oil for days. The pickle would be laid out on the balcony under the hot sun to enable the flavours to be absorbed completely. The tantalising aroma would tempt us, but no amount of pleading would induce Nani to let us taste the pickle. Makkai ki roti and sarson da saag, the staples of Punjabi cuisine, are also winter foods. We would have the roti with dollops of butter. Winter was also carrot season so Mom would give us gajar ka halwa for dessert. Phirni was another dessert that we used to enjoy. My mother used to refer to the dry fruits in the phirni as brain food. Winters in Punjab see a harvest of black carrots, which are used to make kanji, the wine of Punjab. The carrots are boiled with certain other ingredients, and mashed and strained to yield a drink, which is stored in a ceramic container and placed under the sun.
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Until I turned 11, all our summer holidays were spent in our hometown in Amritsar, Punjab. Those were great times. The entire family would gather together. Uncles, aunts, cousins, grandparents, not to mention numerous relatives who dropped in to meet us. On such occasions, there was enough food and lassi for everyone. Hospitality is a very intrinsic part of Punjabi culture. If you go to a Punjabi home, you are very likely to be overfed. This was so even in Mumbai. If a guest came at mealtime, he was invited to eat with us. Also, Mom never served biscuits to visitors. She would make the guest feel comfortable, then rush to the kitchen and quickly rustle up some bhajiyas. Things have now changed, at least in the cities. My own household is more health conscious. So ghee is now out and sunflower oil is in. We use less oil and less salt, and consume sugar in moderation. My husband and I have stopped eating white rice and have started eating brown rice and roti made of nine-grain atta, along with vegetables and dal. Of course, I still yearn for my parathas and I do indulge in hearty eating sometimes. But back in Punjab, the old food habits continue. There have been other changes too. Mom now grinds masalas in smaller quantities. The family is smaller; my siblings and I have married and moved out. But she continues to cook the old staples. Incidentally, my husband, a Gujarati, loves to eat at my Moms house. My one regret is that as the elders pass away, we are increasingly unable to keep in touch with some of those traditions on account of our lifestyles. I feel bad for my daughter. Even though the food we eat today is healthier, I regret the fact that my daughter is missing out on all the homemade stuff that I used to enjoy. Those delicacies used to be delicious and totally reflected the love and affection of my Mom and Nani who used to take the trouble to make them. The food in my Punjabi-Gujarati household is an agreeable fusion of both cuisines. I have been able to introduce a lot of Punjabi dishes. As a child, I was more interested in eating. But now for the sake of my daughter, I make the effort to bring in more
Most Punjabi dishes are prepared in generous amounts of ghee
authenticity into my cooking. I want her to know the kind of food her mother grew up eating. I still call my Mom when I am making a Punjabi dish to make sure I get all the elements right. Fortunately, there are some things which havent changed. At my Moms place, mealtimes are still noisy and fun affairs, with all of us talking at the same time. It is this feeling of affection and hearty hospitality, which is the essence of Punjabi cuisine, that I would like to share with my daughter someday. n As told to Cynthia Rodrigues
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Aloo: Potato Aloo ka papad: Potato poppodum Amchur: Dried mango powder Atta: Flour Baingan bharta: Roasted and mashed eggplant cooked with spices Bhajiyas: Deep-fried dumplings Boondi raita: Deep-fried gram flour balls mixed in yoghurt Chhole bhature: Spicy chickpeas served with deep-fried flatbread made of refined flour Dahi: Curd Gajar: Carrot Gajar ka halwa: Carrot pudding Ghee: Clarified butter Gobi: Cauliflower Kaali dal: Slow-cooked lentil stew with black gram and red kidney beans Kadhi pakodis: Fried dumplings served in a curd-based gravy Lachha: Layered Indian flatbread Lassi: Cooling whole milk yoghurt beverage Makkai ki roti: Unleavened bread made of cornflour Muli: Radish Paneer: Cottage cheese Parathas: Layered Indian flatbreads Phirni: Indian rice pudding Puri: Traditional deep-fried Indian flatbread Rajma: Red kidney beans Rassewale aloo: Potatoes cooked in tomato gravy Rongi: Black-eyed beans curry Rotis: Traditional Indian unleavened flatbread Sarson da saag: Curry made from mustard leaves and spices Shalgam: Turnip Sheera: Indian sweet made with semolina Tadka: Tempering
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north america
UK
w rld
The Tata groups global footprint spans 80 countries in six continents
The maps shown in this article are a graphical representation
At home in the
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china
africa
The Tata group has been international in its approach to business from its inception. The Founder, Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, began his business career in international trade in China and England. The businesses he later established in India measured up to international standards and used world-class technology. Tata Exports (now Tata International) was set up in 1962, and currently Tata companies export their products and services to over 85 countries. In 2010-11, the Tata group had international sales of $48.3 billion, 58 percent of its total revenues, with the UK and the US being the two main overseas revenue contributors. Each operating company in the Tata group develops its own international strategy as an integral part of its overall strategy, depending on the nature of the industry, opportunities available and competitive dynamics in the global stage. For some companies, focus on the domestic Indian market remains the priority. For others, it is developing a presence in international markets in terms of trading and distribution of their products.
Then there are Tata companies, increasing in number, setting up greenfield projects, making acquisitions and creating joint ventures in overseas geographies, and becoming an integral part of the development and economy of those geographies. Beginning with Tata Teas acquisition of Tetley in 2000, Tata companies made several significant overseas acquisitions including Corus by Tata Steel, Jaguar and land rover by Tata Motors and Brunner Mond by Tata Chemicals all in the UK; daewoo Commercial Vehicles by Tata Motors in South Korea; NatSteel in Singapore and Millennium Steel in Thailand by Tata Steel, and General Chemical Industrial Products by Tata Chemicals, Eight OClock Coffee by Tata Tea and Tyco Global Network by Tata Communications in the US. ratan Tata, Chairman, Tata Sons, sums up the Tata groups efforts to internationalise its operations thus: I hope that a hundred years from now we will spread our wings far beyond India, that we become a global group, operating in many countries, an Indian business conglomerate that is at home in the world, carrying the same sense of trust that we do today.
In the following pages, we highlight the Tata presence in four key regions: the UK, North America, Africa and China.
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Tata in the UK
Profile
Tata has more than a century of experience and leadership in the UK, its leading international market, with combined revenues exceeding $7 billion. Having established Tata limited in 1907 to represent it in Europe, Tata has grown to become the largest Indian employer in the UK and is today also the largest foreign investor there. Tatas commitment to social responsibility has also manifested itself for many years in the UK. Sir ratan Tata the younger son of Jamsetji Tata, the Tata group Founder made a donation that enabled the london School of Economics (lSE) to research the causes of poverty. This led to the setting up, in 1912, of lSEs Sir ratan Tata department, subsequently called the department of Social Sciences. The lady Tata Memorial Trust was established by Sir dorabji Tata, the elder son of Jamsetji, in 1932 in memory of his wife, lady Meherbai, who died of leukaemia in 1931. An International Advisory Committee, based in london, invites applications for awards for personal support for research on leukaemia worldwide. The awards are restricted to studies of the leukaemogenic agents, the epidemiology, pathogenesis, immunology and genetic basis of leukaemia. The amount allocated by the trust for international scholarships is usually 200,000 every year. Tata companies in the UK have continued this remarkable legacy of social commitment. They have come together to share experiences, best practices and ideas in the area of corporate sustainability. Their initiatives focus on four areas: workplace, marketplace, community and the environment.
TATA CoMPANieS
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diligenta Jaguar land rover Taj Hotels resorts and Palaces (51 Buckingham Gate, Crowne Plaza london St James; The Bombay Brasserie; The Quilon) Tata Capital Tata Chemicals Europe Tata Communications Tata Consultancy Services Tata Elxsi Tata Global Beverages Tata Interactive Systems Tata limited Tata Motors European Technical Centre Tata Steel Europe Tata Technologies
QUicK factS
employees: 45,000 consumer brands: Tetley; Jaguar; Land Rover; The Quilon; The Bombay Brasserie; 51 Buckingham Gate, Crowne Plaza London St James Website: www.uk.tata.com
51 Buckingham Gate
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QUicK factS
employees: 24,000 consumer brands: Eight OClock Coffee, Good Earth Tea, Jaguar Land Rover, The Pierre New York, Taj Boston, Taj Campton Place and Tetley companies listed on nYSe: Tata Communications and Tata Motors Website: www.northamerica.tata.com
TATA CoMPANieS
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Jaguar land rover Taj Hotels resorts and Palaces (The Pierre New York, Taj Boston, Taj Campton Place) Tata Business Support Services Tata Chemicals North America Tata Communications Tata Consultancy Services Tata Elxsi Tata Global Beverages Tata Interactive Systems Tata Steel (Kalzip, Tata Steel International Americas, Tata Steel Plating) Tata Technologies
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Tata in Africa
Profile
Established in 1994, Tata Africa Holdings operates as the nodal point for Tata businesses in Africa. The company has a strong presence in over 10 African countries with investments exceeding $100 million. The company was established in Johannesburg, South Africa, as a subsidiary of global trading company Tata International in 1994 and serves as headquarters for Tata operations in Africa. Over a period of three decades, Tata Africa has entered into joint ventures and partnerships with several African companies to help develop local resources and talent. Tata companies in Africa collectively employ about 1,400 people. Tata Africa has invested more than $100 million in businesses and industries across Africa. Tata in Africa is committed to building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust, creating employment opportunities, and making its contribution to the social development of local communities. The Tata Africa Scholarships for postgraduate studies are contributing to the development of research and science in South Africa, and are an integral part of the companys community initiatives.
TATA CoMPANieS
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Accordian Motors Jaguar land rover, South Africa Neotel Taj Hotels (Taj Pamodzi, lusaka and Taj Cape Town) Tata Africa Holdings SA Tata Automobile Corporation SA Tata Chemicals Magadi Tata Consultancy Services Tata Global Beverages Tata Power Tata Steel KZN
QUicK factS
employees: 1,400 Presence: Ghana, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe Website: www.tataafrica.com
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Tata in China
Profile
China is a critical and growing market for the Tata group, which has had a long business association with the Middle Kingdom. In 1859, a young Jamsetji was sent to Hong Kong to open a branch for his fathers banking firm. He relocated a few months later to Shanghai, where he remained till 1863. Currently the Tata group has a fairly significant presence in China, with the number of companies and operations growing steadily. Tata companies employ over 3,300 employees in China. They generated $6.4 billion worth of sales in the country and purchased goods and services worth $1.3 billion in 2011. recognising the potential for high growth in existing businesses and opportunities for new ones, Tata Sons, the group promoter company, has set up representation in China. Tata operations in China are spread over a range of sectors from automotive to IT, and project management to logistics.
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Tata Consultancy Services Tata Global Beverages Tata Projects Tata South East Asia Tata Steel Asia Tata Steel International TKM Global logistics Trl Krosaki refractories York Transport Equipment
QUicK factS
employees: 3,300 Presence: Beijing, Dalian, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Tianjin, Wuxi, Xiamen and Yingkou Website: www.tatachina.com.cn
TATA CoMPANieS
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Jaguar land rover Automotive Trading (Shanghai) Kalzip Nanjing Tata AutoComp Systems NatSteel Holdings Tata Communications
The TRL Krosaki Refractories China office in the Yingkou province of China
ExpEriEncE
s urban Indians, our early memories of village life included visits to grandparents, exploring fields, savouring local delicacies and enjoying the uniqueness of the whole situation. As we grew older, vacations in villages were replaced by studies of rural marketing or study tours, and the experience of living in rural India became a concept to be studied. With our minds cluttered with theories of bottom of the pyramid, migration, microfinance, etc, rural India, to us, has become a complex phenomenon. In fact, the word rural has become associated with poverty, backwardness, poor hygiene and sanitation it is a world totally cut off from familiar urban surroundings.
Between us, our cumulative experience of rural India had been brief stints in villages where we had worked in our pre-TAS assignments. However, our first year at TAS provided us a completely different opportunity. The project not only involved displaying our managerial skills, but also meant staying with a family in a village to understand the routines of their daily lives. This experience was supposed to help us come out of our comfort zones. A visit to a village with power and water problems was not a comforting thought; staying with an unknown family in an unknown place was daunting. The pre-rural stint induction by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) team also laid great emphasis on setting realistically low expectations
ExpEriEncE
with regard to the availability of amenities. Motivated by the team and led by the quintessential TAS can-do spirit, we started our rural stint from January 18, 2012. Our first destination was Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh; a 10-hour bus ride took us from Mumbai to the fortress town of Ahilyabai Holkar. Empathy and respect Maheshwar, on the banks of the Narmada and a government-endorsed tourist destination, was a pleasant surprise with 24-hour power and water supply. We were to stay there for nearly 30 days, for the duration of the project with Women Weave, our NGO partner. The project was an interesting challenge. Used to working in typical structured business environments with the bottomline as our guiding light, it took us some time to get used to working with an NGO with unstructured operations. Our project involved formulating strategies to increase the profitability of Women Weave, while increasing the social benefits of its Gudi Mudi Project which is supported by SDTT. Women Weave, employing local women, sells organic fabric and promotes the Maheshwari art form. The NGOs long-term strategic vision is a self-sustainable and socially responsible producer company where the women weavers would have a controlling stake. We had to devise a business and social model that would bring this vision to fruition. Our initial analysis identified potential sources of improvement in inventory management, product mix, pricing and channel management. Compared to a purely commercial business enterprise, there were huge gaps. However, as we became more involved, we began to understand that the true essence of a social enterprise went beyond profits. While meeting the trustees helped, our interactions with the women working for Women Weave helped us realise the projects real social impact. The NGO housed hundreds of women from all castes and religions, each with her own heartwarming story about the impact of the trustsupported Gudi Mudi Project. Some were widows; others were victims of alcoholic husbands or exploitative relatives. Women Weave was not just selling fabric; it was selling hope to these women by giving them respectful employment, facilitating their childrens education and reviving a unique tradition of weaving, which even the local population had ignored for years.
It was important that the project become sustainable; after weeks of analysis and study, we suggested certain product-mix and pricing changes that would help turn around the business without compromising its social impact. We also initiated a few customer accounts for their organic products, and optimised their inventory management and logistic practices. Overall, the experience was highly rewarding as we got an opportunity to understand the operations of a handloom unit. We learned how to manage a start-up social enterprise, and to conceptualise a business turnaround for this unique sociobusiness model. Deeper depths Our next assignment was hugely anticipated, yet it was a bigger unknown. The village stay experience would be drastically different from our NGO project. Ithawadi, situated 5km from Maheshwar by road, had come into existence nearly 150 years ago, with the Holkar dynasty of Indore encouraging settlements to ensure cotton cultivation in the West Nimar region. The village has mixed landholding, with 50 percent of the land being unfit for cultivation due to the rocky terrain. Water is scarce as indiscriminate digging of wells has lowered the water table. Power is available for only 10 hours a day from 3am to noon, and 6pm to 9pm in the evening, thus restricting farming activities, especially irrigation. The scarcity of two critical resources means that economic and political power in Ithawadi is wielded by those who have control of these resources primarily the upper castes. This reality influenced our recommendations for what would be an impactful initiative for Ithawadi.
(L-R) Swati Dalal, Harshavardhan S and their host Bhagwan Meware who runs the Women Weave centre in Ithawadi
ExpEriEncE
The village stay was an eye-opener for us, brought up as we were in urban settings. There was a TV in every home and Tata Sky had made it to even the most backward parts of the village. We learned that a 13-member family could live comfortably in two rooms, while allowing female members their privacy. We learned that a family could be content with a monthly income of `7,000, an amount that seems such a pittance to us. Living in the village was not as daunting as we had feared. We were not treated as guests; we were welcomed as family members. We spent the days understanding the villages socio-economic profile for our study. Evenings were devoted to meeting families from all sections, castes and age groups. Everywhere we went, cutting across demographics, we were received with hospitality and affection people were willing to spend time with us and share their problems. The Tata affiliation brought us instant recognition; there was also the hope that we had a magic wand that would solve the villages twin problems of erratic water and electricity supply. An even bigger social problem for women was the alcoholism in the male community, especially among the lower castes. Holistic solutions Our work in the village was to identify opportunities for future interventions by the Tata Trusts, or through their partner NGOs. We came across many potential opportunities for intervention alternative sources of energy such as solar power for irrigation, which would also impact the water situation in the village, and opportunities for backend integration of the cotton value chain with the region producing nearly 200 tonnes of cotton every year. However, it was obvious that these potentially economically profitable business solutions, while positively impacting the twin problems of the village, would only have a negative social impact on the village. As much as 80 percent of the land in the village was controlled by the upper castes. The solutions we discussed would mostly impact these sections with only minimal leakage of corresponding benefits to the lower castes. Based on our understanding of the village economics, we suggested alternative means of employment through weaving, especially for women of lower castes, to create additional
income within the village; this would also direct more income towards the lesser-privileged castes. We used a Social Cost Benefit Analysis model, rather than a pure Net Present Value analysis, to compare the holistic socio-economic impact of our proposals. Conflicting impressions We had expected to find government apathy; what we saw was slightly different. The government was making an effort, but there were huge implementation gaps, especially acute in the case of primary healthcare and secondary education where availability and quality of initiatives were major issues. These gaps could only be bridged by the private sector and civil society. We expected to find a lot of gender-related social issues however, we were pleasantly surprised to see some level of womens empowerment in the village. More priority was given to the education of the girl child and employment of women had proved to be a more stable source of income for the family. The village had a female sarpanch, but as is common in such cases, it is the sarpanch-pati (her husband) who wields true power. We had the opportunity to be part of a village wedding. We were surprised to see the scale of the event, which could beat any tier II city in terms of money spent. The whole village was invited for the wedding, with arrangements made for hundreds of people. In a village where the average monthly household income is `5,000-6,000, wedding budgets can be as high as `500,000-700,000. Taking loans to fund a wedding is customary. In all, our rural experience was an eye-opener, something both of us will remember for the rest of our personal and professional lives. While the increasing emphasis on education and gender equality left us optimistic about the state of our villages, our stay made us realise how fortunate we have been in terms of the opportunities that life has given us, and how extremely important it is for each of us to contribute in our own way to ensure that our nation collectively moves ahead. The steep inequality that exists today is a peril that is fuelling the social unrest in the country. It is not for the government but for the citizens to take charge of the situation and focus on equitable growth. On a personal note, the hope and faith that the villagers placed in us, the respect and love they gave us without expecting any returns, have made us determined to give back in some way, big or small. n
ExpEriEncE
1 2
in Ithawadi
2 A hamlet in Maheshwar 3 The Women Weave centre in Ithawadi 4 Visiting the home of a beneficiary of the Women
5 A member of the Women Weave NGO working 6 Ms Dalal (third from right) along with the family
m y s pa c e
ith a red bag full of gifts on my shoulder, I boarded a sleeper class compartment on the train to my hometown. The train was so cold that it felt like a long moving refrigerator on a railway track. An arduous 14-hour journey in the harsh winter with only a waiting list ticket looked daunting. I met every ticket collector on the train. None of them had a spare seat for the evening. Youd better occupy the place near the wash basin, one ticket collector advised. He was the only one who showed some sympathy, so I hung around his seat near the door expecting more sympathy. The weather was getting worse. It was colder than I had expected. I had worn two T-shirts over my office shirt but I still shivered. I noticed a big man appraising me now and then over his newspaper. Sitting in the same bay, tucked inside a dark overcoat, he had a confirmed berth and a thick blanket. I had gifts for my grandparents and little cousins in my red bag, but no blankets to cover myself. It was 9pm and I had nowhere to go. Too preoccupied with looking for a seat, I had forgotten about dinner. My stomach started rumbling immediately. I now had something new to worry about. The middle seats had been pulled down in the bay; passengers were preparing to sleep. Moving to a lower seat in the same bay, I sat near the big mans leg. He may have taken me for a well-dressed thief. He was not comfortable with my position at the edge of the seat. I wont sit here for long; Ill move once the lights are off,
I told the big man, with no idea what to do next. Even the space near the wash basin was occupied by migrant labourers. The big man showed me his mobile phone, an Apple iPhone. He seemed to have everything in the world. He typed a message on it, Waiting list? Slightly miffed, I nodded. I didnt see you having dinner, he typed again. Why wont this man talk? I smiled. He offered me a half-finished packet of biscuits. I was hesitant. What if he was one of the suave biscuit thieves? Nevertheless, I took the whole packet thinking that if I was going to faint, let me faint on a full stomach. Another man came to our bay, and the big man signalled something to him. Their conversation relied on sign language. I realised why he had used his mobile phone to communicate with me. He could not speak to me otherwise. Once his friend left the bay, the big man cleared the space between the two lower berths, and laid his newspaper down neatly to cover the entire area. He gave me a pillow too, and then typed a good night message on his phone. I will get down at 2am. You can use my berth after that. Good night. That gesture of friendship was enough to comfort me. I slept like a log, dreaming about food and family, and drugged biscuits. I woke up on the big mans berth, all cosy in a thick blanket. The same blanket I had wished I had. The big man had left it for me. I had no other memory of the night. That was a strange night, with an unusual gift from a complete stranger. n
m y s pa c e
A lesson learned
People can inspire us in unexpected ways. Ashok Namboodiri of NourishCo Beverages learned an invaluable lesson from the affectionate actions of his late grandfather
y grandfather was illiterate and had experienced the worst kind of poverty in his life. To this day, however, he inspires me to live not for myself but for others. Born in a small village in Kollam, Kerala, into the Brahmin community, his life came apart in the 1950s when the state government brought in sweeping reforms on land holdings and left the family with little land to call their own. Life became a struggle to make ends meet. As a member of the landed gentry, he had no skills with which to earn a living. Grandpa began to farm his small plot of land by day and serve at the local temple after sundown. He toiled hard over the next few years to educate his three children, sometimes working 18 hours a day. He would sit by the lamp at the doorstep and recount to us how he had done his duty to his family. I used to be amazed that he could speak about those tough times with a twinkle in his eyes. It is a tribute to his commitment that all his children graduated from college. One of them became a professor, teaching at the junior college in the nearby town. I learned the biggest lesson from him when he visited us during one summer vacation. My brother and I were 13 and 14 years old respectively and more interested in the countrys fortunes in the upcoming cricket tournament than in an old mans tales. We had just shifted to a new neighbourhood and had no friends; that did not dampen our enthusiasm for the game. We batted and bowled, but found ourselves short of fielders to fetch the ball for us. Grandpa used to watch us play. He was shortsighted and suffered from arthritis. He would often complain of pain in his leg at night.
One sultry afternoon, my brother was bowling while I took guard at the crease. As I concentrated on getting my timing right and drove the ball on both sides of the wicket, my brother began to grumble aloud about how tiring it was to bowl and chase the balls that went behind the wicket. Playing cricket without a wicket-keeper can be energy sapping! As we looked around for a possible solution, we saw Grandpa staring at us from the window and convinced him to keep wickets for us. Not suspecting any mischief, he hobbled up and took position behind the wicket, donning a tattered pair of gloves. Needless to say, there were no leg guards in our kit. For the next few hours, Grandpa played wicket-keeper, struggling to stop the ball, and prancing around on his weary legs. He stopped many a tearing delivery with his legs, not once flinching as the leather ball hit his shin. Later, we ambled across the street to gorge on ice creams without stopping to thank Grandpa or check on his condition. On our return, we met mother at the door, furious about our afternoon antics. But before she could say anything, Grandpa stepped in, making light of the pain in his leg. That night, Grandpa asked my mother for Vicks VapoRub. Much later, I found him rubbing Vicks on his shin bones. He had seen people use the ointment to relieve headaches and had assumed that it would soothe his pain. I realised that he had withheld the truth about his aching legs to protect us. I felt my eyes brimming with tears at this display of affection! My Grandpa is no more; even today I am inspired by the knowledge that all our education cannot match the simple love bestowed on us by an unlettered, untutored old man! n
Photo gallery
Joy (seen in the picture) and her squirrel siblings, Marky and Didi, love to swing and play all day at the home of R Sujatha, Rallis India, Bengaluru
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Little Rambo, darling of Sayooj KP, TCS, Chennai, always has food on his mind. This photo was shot on the day he first arrived home
Photo gallery
Onyx, the handsome Doberman Pinscher, loves the sand, the sea and the surf at Mithapur beach, where Malay Samani of Tata Chemicals, takes him for a walk
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Cute, smart and expressive, Jacky is a quick learner, says Vijay Palanichamy, TCS, Chennai, who dotes on his best pal
Photo gallery
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Photo gallery
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Tetley, named after the favourite tea brand of Malcolm Howard, Tata Motors, UK, likes to watch TV on his pillow on the sofa. He also prefers to enter the house, only when let in regally through the window instead of the cat flap
The loving pair of Kuttusan and Silky play with each other at the home of Sunilkumar R, Tata Elxsi, Thiruvananthapuram
corner d has a soft all visitors an to play with heese, says s spells c erman love c-h-e-e-s-e Friendly Sh learned that He has also for cheese. SA burg, TCS, U Richard Lim
Maggles Anne, the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel of Deborah Brooks, Tata Communications, USA, is very photogenic and loves to pose
EVENTS
The grand finale of Tata First Dot, powered by NEN, was held at the SSN College of Engineering, Chennai, on January 9 and 10. Over 600 student entrepreneurs participated from across India. Five winners each were selected for the judges choice awards and the peoples choice awards
Winners of Tata First Dot, powered by NEN, along with K Srikrishna (sixth from left), executive director, NEN, and Kishor Chaukar (seventh from left), managing director, Tata Industries
L-R: Atul Agrawal, VP, corporate affairs; Ashutosh Pandey, COO, Landmark; K Ananth Krishnan, chief technology officer, TCS; Ravi Vishwanathan, president for growth markets, TCS, and Sunita Singh, director, NEN, at the event
EE V E N T S VENTS
National and international winners of the Tata Crucible Campus Quiz 2012 were announced on April 8 at the Vivanta by Taj President, Mumbai
National winners
L-R: Raghav Chakravarthy and Sachin Ravi from the Symbiosis Law School, Pune, with ace quizmaster Giri Balasubramaniam and chief guest Kishor Chaukar, managing director, Tata Industries
International winners
L-R: Mr Chaukar with Mohammad Zuhair Ali and Naveen Kumar from the Institute of Public Enterprise, Hyderabad
EVENTS
Defexpo 2012
Tata companies showcased their products and services at the Defexpo 2012 event held at the Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, from March 29 to April 1
Tata Elxsi
EVENTS
Titan Industries
Capabilities of tata Companies in defenCe Mobility solutions Energy systems Defence electronics Communication systems Weapon systems Air defence Network centric operations Trusted platforms Electronic warfare Modernisation of airfield infrastructure Information technology Aerostructures Sensors and surveillance High-precision machining Offset facilitation Harness and wiring systems Armour and composites
Tata Motors
EVENTS
The sixth Tata Women@work essay competition was held in January 2012. Presenting the five winners
Maria Rajni DSouza, manager (projects), Tata Projects, Mumbai
I joined Tata Projects in October 1989. I was the first woman trainee engineer in the group. As project manager, I have successfully commissioned three projects for the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation. Reassigned to the contracts department, my duties include preparing Tend 1 and Tend 2 forms for management approval, drafting MoUs (memorandums of understanding) for tie-ups with partners, etc. I study new project tenders and prepare a synopsis of salient contractual points for the bidding team. On achieving a work-life balance: I believe in taking one day at a time and compartmentalising work and family time. During working hours, I focus entirely on work, whereas my family becomes my focus afterwards. I also take short breaks and annual vacations with my family. My role model: My dad has been my constant source of encouragement. He is almost 80 now but still retains his energy and zest for life. My hobbies: I love to read. I also enjoy travelling; historical places fascinate me. Listening to music is another favourite pastime. On achieving a work-life balance: If one enjoys ones work, and believes that one is genuinely contributing to a larger cause as in the case of my role at TCS achieving a work-life balance is not at all challenging. One of the principles that I consciously follow for achieving that balance is to work hard but segregate. Once I leave office, I leave my work behind. It is the same when I am at office I leave my home behind. This allows me to concentrate on the moment, and to focus entirely on the job at hand. This helps me deliver better results, and maintain a work-life balance. My role model: My role model is my mother. A simple lady, she taught me that nothing is impossible in the face of determination and hard work. She was diagnosed with polio as an infant, had an open heart surgery at 16, and lost her husband soon after having three daughters. She was not fazed; at least, she did not show us if she was. And though we went through difficult times, we never once felt that we would not come through. It was all due to her spirit and determination. Despite health issues polio, two open heart surgeries and hepatitis she worked and educated us. All three of us are postgraduates and wellpositioned today. The lessons I have learned from her are deeply ingrained in me. My hobbies: I like listening to music, watching movies, reading books and gardening. I also enjoy listening to my daughter play the piano. I enjoy solving cryptic crosswords, and I have now discovered the joy of writing! I also love travelling with family and friends.
Priya Siqueira Mahapatra, general manager, corporate social responsibility, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Bhubaneswar
I have been working with TCS since October 2010. I manage the CSR (corporate social responsibility) activities of TCS in Eastern India.
EVENTS
between my family, health, work and hobbies. My role models: My role models are my parents, who have striven to give me the best education they could, together with a deep sense of values that have always been my armour in any situation. They have always encouraged me to believe in myself. My hobbies: My hobbies are reading, travelling, doing yoga and writing.
EVENTS
The Tata Group Innovation Forum announced the winners of the Tata Innovista 2012 on April 26 at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel in Mumbai. A total of 12 winners were selected this year from among more than 2,000 entries received from 71 companies across the world. Cyrus Mistry, Deputy Chairman, Tata Sons, felicitated the winners
PROMISING INNOVATIONS
New product
Company: Tata Steel Europe Innovation: Tata Steel HPrail an innovative new rail steel Company: Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) Innovation: A low-cost stop-start device for JLR
EVENTS
New service
Support process
Company: Tata Technologies Innovation: Knowledge-based engineering applications using GPU computing technology
Company: Tata Power Delhi Distribution Innovation: Last mile AT&C loss reduction by CS intervention
Core process
Company: Tata Chemicals Innovation: Innovative DAP granulation Company: Tata Steel Europe Innovation: Advanced high-strength steel coating
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Unproven idea
Proven technology
Company: Tata Steel Europe Innovation: 330V premium-grade rail for embedded track
EVENTS
Proven technology
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Cyrus Mistry, Deputy Chairman, Tata Sons R Gopalakrishnan, director, Tata Sons
EVENTS
A total of 27 global winners were selected from among the regional winners of the Tata Young Expressions Childrens Competition 2012. The global winners were felicitated at the Tata Innovista award function held at the Taj Mahal Palace hotel, Mumbai, on April 26. Started in 2004, the death centenary of Tata group Founder Jamsetji Tata and the birth centenaries of JRD Tata and Naval Tata, the competition has been growing exponentially. This year, more than 2,000 children from across the globe sent in their entries on the theme,Back to nature.
Some of the global winners with Cyrus Mistry, Deputy Chairman, Tata Sons
EVENTS
Age group: 5-8 years
K Ananth Krishnan, chief technology officer, Tata Consultancy Services, felicitated the Brush Strokes winners
The Kaleidoscope winners were felicitated by Tony Harper, head of research, Jaguar Land Rover
Tim Leverton, head, Engineering Research Centre, Tata Motors, awarded the Write Stuff winners
Anoop Cholayil of Tata Consultancy Services shares a photograph of the serene Karanji Lake in Mysore
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