TATA Group: The Full History

Shivanshu Agrawal
21 Jul 202418:01

Summary

TLDRThe script narrates the inspiring journey of the Tata Group, starting from its humble beginnings as a cotton trading business in 1839 to becoming a global conglomerate. It highlights the visionary leadership of Jamshedji Tata and his successors, who pioneered industries like steel, power, and aviation in India. The story showcases the group's commitment to innovation, economic self-sufficiency, and social responsibility, including initiatives like the Indian Institute of Sciences and the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel. The narrative also touches on the challenges and triumphs of expanding into international markets and the group's diverse contributions to India's progress.

Takeaways

  • πŸ˜€ Jamshedji Tata, the founder of the Tata Group, envisioned a self-sufficient India and initiated multiple businesses to fulfill this dream.
  • 🏭 Jamshedji established the Empress Mill in 1877, marking the beginning of the Tata Group's manufacturing journey.
  • 🀝 He introduced innovative welfare schemes for workers, including Provident Fund, medical insurance, and recognition events, which improved worker attendance and performance.
  • 🌱 Jamshedji diversified the group's interests, including strawberry farming and silk production, contributing to India's economic self-sufficiency.
  • 🏨 The Taj Mahal Hotel, initiated by Jamshedji, was a symbol of Bombay's development and was powered by India's first public electricity supply.
  • πŸ”¨ Jamshedji's pursuit of establishing a steel industry in India led to the creation of TISCO, which became a cornerstone of the country's industrial growth.
  • πŸ“š His son, Dorabji Tata, continued Jamshedji's legacy, establishing the Indian Institute of Sciences and contributing to India's scientific advancements.
  • πŸ’‘ Dorabji also pursued Jamshedji's vision of a hydroelectric plant, leading to the establishment of Tata Power.
  • πŸš€ JRD Tata expanded the group's interests into aviation with the founding of Air India and contributed to India's defense preparedness.
  • πŸš— Sir Ratan Tata aimed to revolutionize the Indian automobile industry by creating the Tata Indica, a 100% Indian car, and later the affordable Tata Nano.
  • 🌐 Under Sir Ratan Tata's leadership, the Tata Group expanded globally through strategic acquisitions, increasing its international presence and revenue.

Q & A

  • Who is the founder of the Tata Group?

    -Jamshedji Tata is the founder of the Tata Group.

  • What was Jamshedji Tata's initial business venture?

    -Jamshedji Tata initially started a cotton trading business with his father.

  • What was the innovative solution Jamshedji Tata implemented to improve worker attendance and performance at Empress Mill?

    -Jamshedji Tata launched a Provident Fund scheme, provided medical insurance for workers, and organized events like Family Day and Sports Day to improve worker attendance and performance.

  • What was the significance of Jamshedji Tata's belief in economic self-sufficiency for India's independence?

    -Jamshedji Tata believed that India would need to be economically self-sufficient and manufacture all essential products within the country to achieve and sustain independence.

  • What was the impact of Jamshedji Tata's initiatives in Panchgani and Bangalore-Mysore on Indian agriculture and textiles?

    -Jamshedji Tata's initiatives led to Panchgani becoming known for strawberry farming and jam factories, and the introduction of silkworm breeding in Bangalore and Mysore resulted in the popularity of Mysore Silk and Bangalore Mysore Silk Sarees.

  • What was the vision behind the construction of The Taj Mahal Hotel?

    -Jamshedji Tata envisioned a world-class hotel in Bombay, with every room facing the sea, to promote the city's development.

  • Why was Jamshedji Tata's steel business initiative significant for India?

    -The steel business was significant because it was essential for the development of various industries in India, such as construction, railway, and manufacturing.

  • What was the role of Dorabji Tata in fulfilling Jamshedji Tata's dreams after his death?

    -Dorabji Tata took responsibility for fulfilling Jamshedji's dreams, including establishing the Indian Institute of Sciences and completing the steel plant work.

  • What was the impact of the nationalization of Air India on its service quality and reputation?

    -After nationalization, Air India experienced a decline in service quality, punctuality, and safety, ultimately losing its world-class airline status.

  • What was Sir Ratan Tata's vision for Tata Motors and how did he execute it?

    -Sir Ratan Tata aimed to make a 100% Indian car that was affordable and high in mileage. He executed this vision by launching Tata Indica and later focusing on technology and expanding Tata Motors in foreign markets.

  • What was the significance of the Tata Nano in Tata Motors' history?

    -The Tata Nano was significant as it was launched with the aim of transitioning the Indian middle class from scooters to cars, but it turned out to be a failure due to its low price and design, which affected its perception as a status symbol.

  • What is the philosophy that Tata Group follows in its business practices?

    -Tata Group follows the philosophy of 'if you want to go fast, then go alone, but if you want to go far, then take everyone along,' ensuring that they take their investors, employees, customers, and the country along in their business endeavors.

Outlines

00:00

πŸ“š The Visionary Origins of Tata Group

The script narrates the inception of the Tata Group, tracing back to Jamshedji Tata's cotton trading business in 1839. Despite early success, his ambition extended to manufacturing, leading to the establishment of Empress Mill in 1877. To address worker absenteeism, Jamshedji introduced innovative welfare schemes like the Provident Fund, medical insurance, and motivational events, which were unprecedented globally. His vision for India's economic self-sufficiency led to ventures in strawberry farming, silk production, and the iconic Taj Mahal Hotel. His most impactful initiative was the establishment of India's first steel plant, though he passed away before its completion. His son, Dorabji Tata, continued his legacy, emphasizing scientific research and education, leading to the Indian Institute of Sciences.

05:01

πŸš€ Expansion and Innovation in the Tata Empire

This paragraph details the expansion of the Tata Group under Dorabji Tata and later JRD Tata. Dorabji diversified the group into various sectors, including steel, power, and consumer products. He completed the hydroelectric plant at Dudhsagar Falls, establishing Tata Power, and fulfilled the dream of a domestic steel industry with TISCO. JRD Tata, known for his interest in aviation, started Tata Aviation Services, which later became Air India. He also ventured into cosmetics with Lakme and truck manufacturing with Telco, now Tata Motors. JRD's contributions to the nation during wars and his role in shaping the group's diverse businesses are highlighted, showcasing the group's resilience and innovation.

10:01

πŸ—οΈ Revolutionizing Industries and Global Aspirations

Sir Ratan Tata's chairmanship marked a period of revolutionary change within the Tata Group. He aimed to bridge the technology gap by focusing on high-tech industries and made a significant impact with the launch of the 100% Indian car, Tata Indica. His strategic acquisition of the old Nissan plant in Australia for a fraction of the cost demonstrated his business acumen. Ratan Tata also reoriented TCS from administrative to software services, leading to its IPO and becoming India's largest IT company. His vision for the Indian middle class led to the launch of the affordable Tata Nano, despite its eventual commercial failure, the learnings from which shaped Tata Motors' future strategies.

15:02

🌏 Global Growth and Philanthropic Legacy

The final paragraph outlines Sir Ratan Tata's global expansion strategy for the Tata Group, acquiring prestigious foreign brands like Jaguar, Land Rover, Tetley, and 8 O'Clock Coffee. This approach diversified the group's revenue streams, with over half coming from international markets. The paragraph also emphasizes the group's commitment to philanthropy, building schools, colleges, and hospitals, reflecting its philosophy of inclusive growth. The narrative concludes by acknowledging the group's respect and success, attributed to its people-centric business approach and the leadership of Sir Ratan Tata.

Mindmap

Keywords

πŸ’‘Cotton Trader

A cotton trader is someone who deals in the buying and selling of cotton. In the context of the video, Jamshedji Tata is described as a small cotton trader who eventually dreams of changing India. His initial business venture in cotton trading laid the foundation for what would become the Tata Group, a business empire.

πŸ’‘Empress Mill

Empress Mill refers to the first cotton mill established by Jamshedji Tata in Nagpur in 1877. It symbolizes the beginning of the Tata Group's foray into manufacturing. The mill was named after the then reigning Empress of India, Queen Victoria, and marked a significant step in the industrialization of India.

πŸ’‘Provident Fund Scheme

A Provident Fund Scheme is a retirement benefit plan where employees contribute a portion of their salary, and the employer matches it, to be received as a pension after retirement. In the video, Jamshedji Tata introduced this scheme for his workers, which was an innovative solution to improve worker attendance and performance, and it was a futuristic concept at the time.

πŸ’‘Economic Self-Sufficiency

Economic self-sufficiency refers to a nation's ability to produce all the essential goods and services it needs without relying on imports. The video discusses Jamshedji Tata's belief that for India to become independent and sustain that independence, it needed to achieve economic self-sufficiency, which motivated him to establish various Indian businesses.

πŸ’‘Taj Mahal Hotel

The Taj Mahal Hotel is a luxury hotel in Mumbai, India, which was envisioned by Jamshedji Tata. It represents his love for his hometown and his belief in the importance of a world-class hotel for the city's development. The hotel, opened in 1903, was the first building in Mumbai to run on light electricity and is an iconic symbol of Indian hospitality.

πŸ’‘Steel Business

The steel business refers to the industry involved in the production and distribution of steel, a crucial material for various sectors such as construction, railway, and manufacturing. Jamshedji Tata's dream of establishing a steel plant in India is highlighted in the video, emphasizing the importance of steel for the country's industrial development.

πŸ’‘Indian Institute of Sciences (IISC)

The Indian Institute of Sciences, also known as IISC, is a public research university and institute for higher education dedicated to advanced training and research. In the video, it is mentioned that Dorabji Tata, Jamshedji's son, established IISC in Bangalore in 1909 to produce world-class researchers and scientists, contributing to India's scientific and educational advancement.

πŸ’‘Tata Steel

Tata Steel refers to the steel company established by the Tata Group. The video narrates the journey from Jamshedji Tata's vision to Dorabji Tata's execution, culminating in the production of the first steel by Tata Iron and Steel Company (TISCO) in 1912. It played a significant role during World War 1 by fulfilling Britain's increased demand for steel.

πŸ’‘Air India

Air India is the flag carrier airline of India, known for its passenger and cargo transport services. The video describes how JRD Tata started Tata Aviation Services, which later became Air India in 1946. It was renowned for its service quality and was considered one of the best airlines internationally before its nationalization in 1953.

πŸ’‘Tata Motors

Tata Motors is the automotive company within the Tata Group, responsible for manufacturing and selling vehicles. The video mentions JRD Tata's expansion into truck manufacturing with the launch of the Tata 407 truck and the company's evolution into a major automotive player, including the acquisition of international brands like Jaguar and Land Rover.

πŸ’‘Tata Nano

The Tata Nano is an ultra-low-cost car launched by Tata Motors in 2009. It was intended to transition the Indian middle class from scooters to cars by offering an affordable option. However, the video explains that despite its innovative concept, the Nano was perceived as a failure due to its low price and branding challenges.

Highlights

Jamshedji Tata's vision of changing India through business.

Jamshedji Tata's early cotton trading business and its growth.

Establishment of Empress Mill in Nagpur for cotton manufacturing.

Innovative solutions for worker absenteeism, including Provident Fund and medical insurance.

Introduction of events like Family Day and Sports Day to boost worker morale.

Jamshedji's belief in economic self-sufficiency for India's independence.

Initiation of strawberry farming in Panchgani and silk farming in Bangalore and Mysore.

Construction of The Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay.

Jamshedji's pursuit of establishing a steel industry in India.

Discovery of rich iron ore reserves leading to the establishment of a steel plant.

Dorabji Tata's continuation of Jamshedji's vision and establishment of the Indian Institute of Sciences.

Introduction of the hydroelectric plant project using Dudhsagar Falls.

Completion of the steel plant and the production of the first steel by TISCO.

JRD Tata's entry into aviation with the establishment of Tata Aviation Services.

JRD Tata's initiative to produce essential chemicals in India with the establishment of Tata Chemicals.

The nationalization of Air India and its subsequent decline.

JRD Tata's diversification of the Tata Group into various industries.

Sir Ratan Tata's vision for a 100% Indian car with the launch of Tata Indica.

Transformation of TCS from administrative services to software services.

Launch of Tata Nano, aimed at transitioning the Indian middle class from scooters to cars.

Tata Group's global expansion through acquisitions of foreign brands.

Tata Group's philosophy of inclusive growth and its impact on society.

Transcripts

play00:00

150 years ago, a small cotton trader

play00:03

dreamed of changing India,

play00:05

completely unaware that one day

play00:07

his dream would give birth to

play00:09

a business empire that would

play00:11

not only change India

play00:12

but also win the hearts of

play00:14

millions of Indians.

play00:16

This is the story of the Tata Group.

play00:17

Get ready to be inspired.

play00:20

Jamshedji Tata was born in 1839.

play00:23

In 1858, Jamshedji completed his education

play00:27

and started cotton trading business

play00:29

with his father.

play00:31

Despite many difficulties

play00:32

in the next 10 years,

play00:33

their business became very big.

play00:35

But Jamshedji was not satisfied

play00:37

with just trading cotton.

play00:39

He wanted to manufacture clothes

play00:41

from cotton himself.

play00:42

That is why he set up

play00:43

Empress Mill in Nagpur in 1877

play00:46

and started manufacturing.

play00:48

But there was a problem,

play00:49

the workers there were not very serious

play00:51

about their work.

play00:52

Almost 20% of workers were absent

play00:54

every day,

play00:55

took weeks off,

play00:56

and were unable to work for long hours.

play00:59

Jamshedji found an innovative solution

play01:01

for this.

play01:02

He launched a Provident Fund scheme

play01:04

for workers,

play01:05

meaning that now workers

play01:06

would get pensions after retirement.

play01:08

Secondly, he got medical insurance

play01:10

for the workers.

play01:11

And finally, he organized events like

play01:13

Family Day and Sports Day.

play01:15

In these events,

play01:16

workers who performed well

play01:18

were rewarded in front of everyone.

play01:20

With all these initiatives,

play01:22

workers started feeling valued,

play01:24

due to which both their attendance

play01:26

and performance improved a lot.

play01:27

Many of these schemes were so futuristic

play01:30

that no one in the whole world

play01:32

had implemented them till then.

play01:34

In 1880, Jamshedji saw that the demand

play01:36

for independence increased in India.

play01:39

Jamshedji believed that

play01:40

to become independent

play01:42

and to sustain independence,

play01:44

India would have to become

play01:45

economically self-sufficient

play01:47

and all essential products

play01:48

would have to be manufactured in India.

play01:50

So he started building more

play01:51

Indian businesses in different areas.

play01:54

He first started strawberry farming

play01:56

in the hills of Panchgani,

play01:59

the impact of which was such that

play02:00

even today Panchgani is known for

play02:02

strawberry farming and jam factories.

play02:04

Jamshedji also observed that

play02:06

the weather of Bangalore and Mysore

play02:08

is similar to France,

play02:09

so he brought silkworms bred

play02:11

in France to India.

play02:13

He bought lands in Bangalore and Mysore,

play02:15

started the Tata Silk Farm Organization,

play02:18

and got silkworm breeding done

play02:20

by local farmers.

play02:20

It was through this initiative of his

play02:22

that India got popular products

play02:24

like Mysore Silk

play02:25

and Bangalore Mysore Silk Sarees.

play02:27

Jamshedji loved his hometown Bombay

play02:30

and knew that a world-class hotel

play02:33

was very important

play02:34

for the development of the city,

play02:36

so he started building

play02:37

The Taj Mahal Hotel in 1898.

play02:40

He personally participated

play02:42

in the construction and design process.

play02:44

His vision was that every room

play02:46

of the hotel should face the sea

play02:47

and the guests should feel

play02:49

as if they are floating in water.

play02:50

In 1903, the hotel was opened

play02:53

to the public for the first time.

play02:54

It became the first building in Mumbai

play02:56

to run on light electricity.

play02:58

Jamshedji took many such initiatives

play03:01

but his most impactful initiative was

play03:03

to start the steel business.

play03:05

In India, every industry like

play03:07

construction, railway,

play03:08

and manufacturing needed steel to develop.

play03:11

So his dream was to open a steel plant

play03:14

in India itself.

play03:15

He spent 17 years of his life

play03:17

searching for high-quality iron ore

play03:19

in various places in India

play03:20

because iron is the most important

play03:22

raw material for making steel.

play03:24

But sadly Jamshedji

play03:26

had to face continuous failures.

play03:28

Then ultimately in 1899,

play03:30

he found rich iron ore reserves

play03:31

in Bengal province after which

play03:34

he immediately started iron ore mining

play03:36

and set up a steel plant.

play03:38

But unfortunately,

play03:39

Jamshedji could not see

play03:40

steel being made in India himself

play03:43

because he breathed his last in 1904

play03:45

at the age of 65.

play03:48

Jamshedji's vision and dreams

play03:49

were so grand that it was not possible

play03:52

to fulfill them all during his lifetime,

play03:54

so his son Dorabji Tata

play03:56

took the responsibility of fulfilling

play03:58

all his other dreams.

play03:59

Jamshedji believed that India

play04:01

was lagging far behind Western countries

play04:04

in scientific research and education.

play04:06

He wanted to establish an institution

play04:09

in India that would produce

play04:10

world-class researchers and scientists.

play04:12

So Dorabji Tata took the help of

play04:14

the Maharaja of Mysore and established

play04:16

the Indian Institute of Sciences

play04:18

in Bangalore in 1909.

play04:20

Nobel laureate CV Raman became

play04:22

the first director of IISC.

play04:24

Later, IISC made important contributions

play04:26

to the development of

play04:28

India's first supercomputer PARAM,

play04:30

and India's first indigenous aircraft,

play04:32

The Hansa.

play04:33

Just as IISC produced

play04:35

world-class scientists and researchers

play04:37

who transformed India,

play04:38

similarly, India today needs

play04:40

business leaders who can build businesses

play04:43

and take the country's economy

play04:44

to the next level.

play04:46

And to create these business leaders,

play04:48

an innovative business school

play04:49

has recently opened in India.

play04:51

A business school where students will be

play04:53

taught by CXOs and business leaders

play04:55

who themselves have built businesses

play04:57

worth thousands of crores for companies

play04:59

like Uber and Myntra.

play05:00

I am talking about the 18-month

play05:02

Post Graduate Program in Management

play05:04

and Tech at Scaler School of Business.

play05:06

Here students will have to work

play05:08

on real-world projects that

play05:10

will be sourced from real companies.

play05:12

Building your own business will be

play05:14

a part of the curriculum here.

play05:16

Plus you will also get fundraising

play05:18

opportunities by pitching your business

play05:20

to VCs.

play05:20

Scaler has been in the education industry

play05:22

for the last 7 years

play05:23

and that is why they already have

play05:25

more than 1,200 placement partners.

play05:27

This is something that

play05:28

no other business school is offering

play05:30

right now.

play05:31

You will get the opportunity to be placed

play05:33

in leadership positions

play05:34

with these partners

play05:36

and there is a mandatory internship

play05:37

of 3 months.

play05:38

Scaler has achieved a 96% placement rate

play05:40

in its online programs

play05:42

and the median CTC is Rs 25 lakh.

play05:45

Currently, Scaler School of Business

play05:47

is handpicking only 75 students for

play05:48

its founding cohort

play05:50

starting next September.

play05:53

The best part is you can get

play05:54

up to 100% scholarship if you apply now.

play05:58

So apply for Scaler School's business now

play05:59

from the link given in the description

play06:01

or comment section.

play06:03

Now let's come back to the story.

play06:04

Apart from education,

play06:05

Jamshedji also dreamed of

play06:06

a hydroelectric plant

play06:08

for electricity generation.

play06:10

In this project, power was to be generated

play06:12

using Dudhsagar Falls located

play06:14

on the Goa Maharashtra border.

play06:16

Dorabji involved 7,000 workers

play06:19

and built artificial lakes, dams,

play06:21

and channels.

play06:22

The plant was ready in 1911

play06:25

and power generation began.

play06:26

Many mills and businesses in Mumbai

play06:29

started getting power

play06:30

from this power plant.

play06:31

And today we know this company

play06:33

as Tata Power.

play06:34

Finally, Dorabji Tata also took

play06:36

the responsibility of completing

play06:38

the steel plant work started by Jamshedji.

play06:41

In 1907, he established a limited company

play06:44

and announced an IPO of Rs 23 crore

play06:46

for the steel plant.

play06:48

At that time,

play06:48

due to the Swadeshi movement,

play06:50

about 8,000 people invested in it

play06:51

in just two weeks.

play06:53

The company was named Tata Steel

play06:55

and Iron Company i.e. TISCO.

play06:57

And finally, in 1912,

play06:59

the first steel was produced by TISCO.

play07:02

Two years later,

play07:03

in 1914, World War 1 started

play07:06

and Britain's steel demand shot up.

play07:09

They needed steel for tanks, trucks,

play07:10

railways, etc.

play07:12

TISCO's plant worked day and night

play07:14

and fulfilled this demand.

play07:16

After the war was over,

play07:17

the Viceroy of that time acknowledged

play07:19

TISCO's contribution.

play07:21

The town where TISCO's plant was located

play07:23

was named Jamshedpur after Jamshedji

play07:26

and the railway station

play07:28

was named Tatanagar.

play07:29

Under Dorabji's leadership,

play07:31

Tata Group's business had grown manifold.

play07:33

Dorabji Tata died in 1932,

play07:35

and before leaving he had diversified

play07:37

the Tata Group into businesses like

play07:39

steel, power, consumer products,

play07:41

banking, and insurance.

play07:44

After Dorabji Tata,

play07:45

a young member of the family,

play07:46

JRD Tata, became the chairman

play07:49

of the Tata Group in 1938.

play07:50

JRD Tata joined the business in 1925

play07:54

and was learning work at the TISCO plant.

play07:56

He was always very interested in aviation,

play07:59

so in 1932 he started

play08:01

Tata Aviation Services.

play08:03

This airline became the first airline

play08:05

in India to provide passenger

play08:07

and cargo transport services.

play08:09

Its first flight was flown by JRD Tata,

play08:12

after which he became India's first-ever

play08:14

commercial pilot.

play08:15

After becoming the chairman,

play08:17

JRD Tata observed that India

play08:18

had to import essential chemicals like

play08:20

soda ash and caustic soda from abroad.

play08:23

These were chemicals that were

play08:25

very important for making

play08:27

essential products like glass, textiles,

play08:29

soaps, and detergents.

play08:31

He wanted these chemicals to be produced

play08:32

in India itself.

play08:34

So in 1939, he built a chemical plant

play08:36

in Mithapur town of Gujarat

play08:39

and thus started Tata Chemicals,

play08:42

which even today manufactures Tata Salt.

play08:46

The chemicals business started doing well

play08:48

but JRD still had a dream of growing

play08:49

the airline business.

play08:51

During World War 2, the British government

play08:53

seized all the planes

play08:55

due to which Tata Aviation Service

play08:57

was shut down overnight.

play08:59

But as soon as the war ended,

play09:00

JRD decided to re-enter

play09:02

the airline business.

play09:04

And thus Air India was started in 1946.

play09:08

The crew of Air India was known

play09:09

for their warm and attentive services.

play09:12

The food, cleanliness,

play09:14

and in-flight entertainment

play09:16

of their flights was top class.

play09:17

Even their mascot was a Maharaja

play09:20

which reflected the Indian hospitality

play09:22

and royal standards of the airline.

play09:24

At the same time, Air India always ran

play09:26

according to the time schedule.

play09:28

Due to all this, Air India was known

play09:29

as one of the best airlines

play09:31

not only in India

play09:32

but also internationally.

play09:34

JRD was growing Air India like his child

play09:37

but then something happened

play09:39

that took away this Air India

play09:40

from him in one stroke.

play09:42

After independence, the Indian Government

play09:44

adopted the socialist economic model

play09:47

which believed that important industries

play09:49

of the country like transportation

play09:51

should be under the control of government

play09:52

so that these industries could focus

play09:54

on public service rather than profit.

play09:56

And that is why in 1953

play09:58

Air India was nationalized

play09:59

i.e. taken under the control

play10:01

of the government.

play10:02

After nationalization,

play10:03

Air India started a tragic decline.

play10:06

Service, punctuality, and safety

play10:08

were negatively impacted

play10:10

due to which ultimately Air India lost

play10:12

its world-class airline status.

play10:14

But even after the setback of Air India,

play10:16

JRD Tata left no stone unturned to grow

play10:19

the Tata Group.

play10:20

He noticed that even after independence,

play10:22

there was no Indian cosmetic brand

play10:24

in the country so he started Lakme.

play10:27

Lakme is a French word

play10:29

which means Lakshmi in Hindi.

play10:31

JRD deliberately did not give this brand

play10:33

an Indian name.

play10:34

He knew that Indian women were obsessed

play10:37

with foreign brands

play10:38

and considered them to be of high quality.

play10:40

So by giving the name Lakme,

play10:42

he gave this cosmetic brand

play10:43

an aspirational value

play10:45

of international level.

play10:46

But in reality,

play10:47

Lakme was still deeply connected to India.

play10:50

JRD also bought a railway engine

play10:52

manufacturing factory in Jamshedpur

play10:55

and started Tata Locomotive

play10:57

and Engineering Company Limited

play10:59

which was later changed to Telco.

play11:01

Initially, Telco manufactured

play11:03

only steam engines for the railways

play11:05

but JRD soon expanded into

play11:06

truck manufacturing.

play11:08

He launched the Tata 407 truck

play11:11

which became very popular

play11:12

for its slim and strong design.

play11:15

And beating international brands,

play11:17

it captured 70% market share.

play11:20

This Telco company which manufactured

play11:21

engines and trucks is now known

play11:23

as Tata Motors.

play11:25

Apart from business,

play11:26

JRD Tata helped India

play11:28

in its most difficult times.

play11:30

During the 1962 Indo-China War

play11:32

and the 1965 Indo-Pak War,

play11:34

he assured the government

play11:36

of all kinds of support.

play11:38

He sent Tata engineers to Delhi

play11:40

so that they could help the country

play11:42

in military equipment manufacturing.

play11:44

He used his Air India experience

play11:46

and also built

play11:48

10-year Defense Preparedness Plans

play11:50

for the Indian Air Force.

play11:51

This report included the requirement

play11:53

for signaling equipment, radar,

play11:54

and spare parts.

play11:56

The government and the Indian Air Force

play11:58

got a lot of help from this report.

play11:59

Given these contributions of JRD Tata,

play12:02

the President of India gave him

play12:04

the posting of Honorary Air Commodore

play12:05

in the Indian Air Force.

play12:07

By 1991, JRD Tata had increased

play12:10

the number of Tata Group companies to 84.

play12:13

There was a revenue of 24,000 crores

play12:15

and there were 2,70,000 employees.

play12:18

But now at the age of 87,

play12:19

the time had come for him to hand over

play12:21

the command of the Tata Group

play12:22

to someone else,

play12:23

so JRD Tata chose a promising member

play12:25

of the Tata family as the new chairman.

play12:29

This new chairman was Sir Ratan Tata.

play12:32

About 30 years before

play12:33

becoming the chairman,

play12:35

till 1962, Sir Ratan Tata was studying

play12:37

architecture in the USA

play12:39

when he received a letter from JRD Tata

play12:42

in which he was asked to come to India

play12:43

and join the business.

play12:45

Ratan Tata came to India

play12:47

and joined Tata Steel

play12:48

and started working there

play12:50

as a normal worker.

play12:51

Seeing his dedication and business talent,

play12:54

he started getting big responsibilities

play12:56

one after the other.

play12:57

Before becoming the chairman,

play12:58

he had made Empress Mill profitable.

play13:02

He had successfully resolved

play13:03

a major labor unrest in Telco.

play13:06

The revenue of Tata's Nalco company

play13:07

which made radios, televisions etc.

play13:10

was increased from Rs 3 crore

play13:12

to Rs 200 crore.

play13:14

When Sir Ratan Tata

play13:15

became the chairman in 1991,

play13:16

he knew that Tata Group was

play13:18

performing well from the outside

play13:20

but in reality,

play13:21

it was lagging behind in many things.

play13:24

He felt that the group was lagging

play13:25

far behind in high technology

play13:27

like computing and AI,

play13:28

and the group had not done anything unique

play13:30

for a long time.

play13:31

He wanted to do something revolutionary

play13:33

for India through Tata Group.

play13:35

With this mindset, he saw that India

play13:38

did not have any such car whose

play13:40

design and production were done in India.

play13:43

So in 1995, Ratan Tata decided to make

play13:46

a 100% Indian car.

play13:48

A car that is spacious, futuristic,

play13:51

affordable, and gives high mileage.

play13:53

But there was a problem,

play13:54

the cost of setting up

play13:56

a new manufacturing plant

play13:58

was around $2 billion,

play13:59

which was a huge amount at that time.

play14:01

So Tata Motors thought of a solution

play14:03

and bought an old Nissan plant

play14:05

in Australia for one-fifth of the cost.

play14:08

This entire plant was dismantled

play14:09

and brought to India and rebuilt in Pune.

play14:13

Ratan Tata himself played

play14:14

an important role in designing the car.

play14:17

And finally, the car was launched in 1998.

play14:20

It was an Indian car, so to name it,

play14:23

Indi was taken from Indian,

play14:25

and Ca was taken from β€˜Car’,

play14:26

and by combining them, Indica was made,

play14:28

Tata Indica.

play14:29

After automobile, Ratan Tata focused

play14:31

on technology.

play14:33

He observed that TCS's focus was

play14:35

on providing administrative services

play14:37

to Indian companies,

play14:38

such as data entry and bookkeeping,

play14:40

which was a very basic level of work.

play14:42

That is why Ratan Tata shifted

play14:43

the focus of TCS

play14:45

from administrative services

play14:46

to software services,

play14:48

after which TCS started making

play14:50

customized software for India's

play14:52

and even world's biggest organizations.

play14:55

Ratan Tata also brought TCS's IPO,

play14:57

which provided funding

play14:58

for the company to expand.

play15:00

And due to these steps,

play15:01

TCS is India's biggest IT company

play15:03

even today.

play15:04

After the success of TCS,

play15:05

Sir Ratan Tata again focused

play15:07

on Tata Motors.

play15:08

He saw that the majority of

play15:10

India's middle-class population

play15:11

cannot afford a car,

play15:13

so the whole family is forced to travel

play15:15

in a congested manner on a scooter,

play15:17

which is very uncomfortable and unsafe.

play15:20

Sir Ratan Tata's dream was to transition

play15:22

the Indian middle class from a scooter

play15:24

to a car.

play15:25

So he announced that he would launch

play15:27

a vehicle whose price would be

play15:29

only β‚Ή1,00,000.

play15:31

In 2009, keeping his promise,

play15:34

he launched Tata Nano

play15:35

at a price point of one lakh.

play15:37

But unfortunately, Nano turned out to be

play15:39

a failure.

play15:40

The biggest advantage of Nano was

play15:42

its low price but this became

play15:44

its biggest disadvantage as well.

play15:47

In India, people see cars

play15:48

as a status symbol.

play15:50

Anyone who owns a car

play15:51

is considered successful.

play15:53

But due to the low price of Nano

play15:55

and its design people branded it

play15:56

as the world's cheapest car, matchbox,

play15:59

and even covered auto rickshaw.

play16:01

Where other car owners felt

play16:03

proud of their cars,

play16:05

Nano owners felt embarrassed

play16:07

about their cars

play16:09

and hence Nano turned out to be a failure.

play16:11

But Tata Motors learnt a lot

play16:13

about consumer behaviour from this failure

play16:15

which can be seen in their lineup today.

play16:18

Today Tata Motors has become

play16:19

the highest revenue-earning company

play16:21

of Tata Group.

play16:23

Finally, Sir Ratan Tata deeply wanted that

play16:25

an Indian companies should do businesses

play16:27

not only in India but all over the world.

play16:29

So to expand in the foreign markets,

play16:32

he started acquiring foreign brands

play16:34

one after the other.

play16:36

For example, to expand Tata Motors

play16:38

in the global luxury market,

play16:39

he acquired Jaguar and Land Rover.

play16:42

To expand in the global

play16:44

tea and coffee market,

play16:45

he acquired the British brand Tetley

play16:46

and the US brand 8 O'Clock Coffee.

play16:49

Similarly, every major company of Tata

play16:51

like Tata Steel, TCS, Tata Chemicals,

play16:54

and IHCL also made acquisitions.

play16:56

And today due to these decisions,

play16:58

more than half of the revenue of

play17:00

Tata Group comes from outside India.

play17:02

The list of achievements of Tata Group

play17:04

under the leadership of Sir Ratan Tata

play17:06

is very long,

play17:06

whether it is Titan making

play17:08

the world's slimmest watch,

play17:10

TCS making one of the world's

play17:12

most powerful supercomputers,

play17:14

or disrupting the television market

play17:15

by launching Tata Sky,

play17:18

Tata Group achieved success

play17:20

in almost every area.

play17:21

Sir Ratan Tata says that

play17:23

if you want to go fast, then go alone

play17:25

but if you want to go far,

play17:27

then take everyone along.

play17:29

Tata Group has always done business

play17:31

with this philosophy.

play17:32

On one hand, it has built big companies

play17:34

and on the other hand, it has also built

play17:36

schools, colleges, and hospitals.

play17:38

Tata Group has always taken its investors,

play17:40

its employees, its customers,

play17:42

and ultimately its country along.

play17:45

And that is why today they get

play17:47

many times more respect from people

play17:49

than the success they have got.

play17:51

This was the story of the Tata Group.

play17:54

If you liked this video,

play17:56

then I would recommend that you watch

play17:57

this video next.

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