Consolidated Tata Review Oct 2013

From the editor
T
he year 2018 is a special one for Tata. It has been 150 years since
the seeds of what has evolved to become the Tata group were
laid by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata. The celebrations to mark the
sesquicentennial were kicked off with the Tata Mumbai Marathon, which
brought together about 44,000 participants from the city. Some ran for
a cause, some to compete, and some to share in the exhilaration of the
moment. The underlying sentiment was not just about sports, but also
community fitness and well-being.
The Tata backing for the marathon is a continuation of the support
that the group and its companies have provided down the years to the
field of sports as well as sportspeople who strive to achieve excellence in
different games and disciplines. There’s both heart and passion in the Tata
commitment to sports and Tata Review has endeavoured to chronicle this
exceptional corporate story.
This issue also features interviews with two senior Tata leaders: TV
Narendran, Tata Steel’s first global chief executive and managing director, and
Puneet Chhatwal, the new managing director and chief executive of Indian
Hotels. Our guest interviewee is a person whose job it is to look ahead and
get a grip of the seemingly impossible — figuring out how the future could
unfold for business. Anton Musgrave, a futurist with his feet planted firmly in
the present, gives us a glimpse into the ‘how’ of becoming future-ready.
The business segment has photographic glimpses of Tetley’s 180-
year journey from a small tea-selling business to its present status as a
global beverage giant. We also feature three distinctly impactful projects:
Tata Consultancy Services and Tata ClassEdge teaming up to digitise the
Sanskardham educational institutions in Ahmedabad; Tata Trusts taking
the milky way forward to transform the lives of dairy farmers; and a study
funded by Tata Trusts that reveals the trouble with early-stage literacy
interventions in Indian languages.
From sports to sustainability to business, we have it covered.
The discovering, dear reader, we leave to you.
Warm regards,
Christabelle Noronha
A parting note: I have thoroughly enjoyed being the editor of Tata Review over
the 16 years and 65 issues. I learned from it, matured with it and, perhaps,
emerged wiser from the experience. It’s time to move on. Dear readers,
I appreciate all your support and thank you for the encouragement.
Au revoir
Contents VOL 55 | ISSUE 4 | JANUARY-MARCH 2018
Cover story
6 SWINGING TO SPORTS
For nearly a century, Tata
has invested deeply in sports,
using it to promote national
interests, build community
engagement and spur social
development
— Philip Chacko, Gayatri Kamath
and Farah Dada
In conversation
72 ‘KALINGANAGAR HAS BEEN A 76 ‘WE WILL TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME’

REMARKABLE STORY’ Puneet Chhatwal, the newly appointed managing
TV Narendran, the global chief executive officer and director and chief executive of Indian Hotels, talks
managing director of Tata Steel, speaks to Christabelle to Christabelle Noronha about opportunities
Noronha about the company’s growth prospects and challenges
Guest interview
80 ‘IMAGINE WHAT THE
WORLD WILL LOOK
LIKE IN 2028’
Futurist Anton Musgrave,
senior partner at FutureWorld
International, in conversation with
Vikas Kumar
EDITOR
Business Christabelle Noronha

Email: chris@tata.com
84 TETLEY: BREWING STRONG AT A HUNDRED
AND EIGHTEA EDITORIAL TEAM
— Farah Dada Anita Gupta
Cynthia Rodrigues
88 TATA CONSULTANCY SERVICES AND TATA CLASSEDGE: Farah Dada
DIGITAL TREATS DELIVER MULTIPLE DELIGHTS Gayatri Kamath
— Cynthia Rodrigues Namrata Narasimhan
Philip Chacko
92 TATA TRUSTS: TECHNOLOGY TO THE FORE FOR Sanghamitra Bhowmik
BETTER PHILANTHROPY Shubha Madhukar
— Gayatri Kamath Sonia Divyang
DESIGN
Community Abraham K John
Shilpa Naresh
EDITORIAL COORDINATOR
Ketayun H Bamji
PRODUCTION
Mukund Moghe
EDITED AND CREATED BY

Group Publications
Email: grouppublications@tata.com
Website: www.tata.com
CONTACT
Tata Sons
Bombay House
24, Homi Mody Street
Mumbai 400 001
96 TATA TRUSTS: 100 TATA TRUSTS: Phone: 91-22-6665 8282
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All matter in Tata Review is
copyrighted. Material published
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GREAT LOVE FOR SPORTS FOUNDATION SEASON’
— Harish Bhat — Tata Review
COVER STORY
SWINGING TO
SPORTS
The cause of sports and sportspeople has been
the pivotal theme in the Tata group’s long-running
effort to support players and athletes, teams
and institutions. The Tata belief in sports for its
own sake has led to the seeding and breeding
of talent across an array of sporting disciplines,
and in a manner that has benefitted countless
individuals and communities down the years.
The Tata Mumbai Marathon is the latest example

of a legacy playing out in sporting fields far and
varied. In football, hockey and cricket, through
tennis, badminton, shooting and more, the Tata
group and its constituents have consistently
backed the quest for sporting excellence.
Welcome to the wide world of Tata in sports.
By Philip Chacko, Gayatri Kamath
and Farah Dada
6 Tata Review n January-March 2018

COVER STORY
January-March 2018 n Tata Review 7

COVER STORY
Going the distance

COVER STORY
The Tata Mumbai Marathon, Asia’s biggest endurance

race, is helping deepen the connect companies
like Tata Consultancy Services and Tata Steel have
established with running communities around the world
Images courtesy Procam International

COVER STORY
O
n the 21st day of the new year, some marathon is the largest philanthropic sporting
44,000 people in Mumbai woke up ready event in India and has benefitted, in the 15 years
to run. It was the day of the Tata Mumbai since its inception, about 550 NGOs to the tune
Marathon, among the world’s top 10 running of nearly `2 billion.
events and the largest in Asia, which draws With large-scale community participation,
participants of all ages and abilities, including there’s a strong social angle to the Tata
celebrities and international athletes. engagement with Mumbai’s biggest running
They came to run not just for the money event. Although Tata Consultancy Services
— the Mumbai Marathon is the richest race in (TCS) has been associated with the Mumbai
India with a prize pool of $405,000 — but also Marathon for a number of years, the engagement
to support a wide range of social causes. The has now been taken to a higher level with the
Tata group and the company signing a 10-year
title sponsorship deal for the event.
Speaking at the launch announcement in
August 2017 for the Mumbai Marathon, Tata
Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, a passionate
marathoner himself, said, “Events like the
marathon promote values like grit, tenacity,
excellence, perseverance, belief, commitment
and passion that have been a key part of the Tata
group’s ethos since its inception... Partnering
with India’s premier long-distance running
event is a great way for the Tata group to
increase our engagement with the community,
raise funds for charity as well as create societal
awareness about the necessity of good health
and fitness. As a marathoner, I’m personally
proud to support this partnership.”
LONG-TIME ALLEGIANCE
TCS’s association with long-distance running
events goes back several years and includes
some of the world’s most famous runs. As title
sponsor or technology partner, it has been
associated with the city marathons of New York,
Boston, London, Singapore and Amsterdam.
The company also supports other long-distance
running events, among them the World 10K in
Bengaluru and the Lidingöloppet cross-country
Tata Sons Chairman
run in Sweden (see Running around the world
N Chandrasekaran (left)
on page 14).
with pole vault legend
TCS chief marketing officer Ravi
Sergey Bubka, the event
Viswanathan believes marathons offer an
ambassador for the
attractive sponsorship avenue because they’re
Tata Mumbai Marathon
so inclusive. “We’ve found that endurance
running, especially marathons, gives us a great
opportunity to connect with local communities,"
he says. "Marathons are one of the few sporting

COVER STORY
Men’s event champion Solomon Deksisa (Ethiopia), who clocked a credible 2:09:34 in the 42-km event, flanked by
compatriot and runner-up Shumet Akalnaw (left) and Kenya's Joshua Kipkorir, who finished in third place
events where anyone can participate in the same representing about 300 TCS client companies,
race alongside world-class, elite athletes. This have run in the company-sponsored marathons.
draws not only participants but also spectators And it’s not just TCS. Tata Steel, one
and others.” of the oldest companies in the group, has
That marathons are a huge draw is a bit of taken to running events, going beyond their
an understatement. About 2.5 million people traditionally supported sports like football
showed up to cheer the 52,000-odd runners in and hockey. The company has also started
the New York Marathon last year. (Interesting sponsoring running events. Four years ago,
fact: Forbes magazine estimated that some 1,800 it started the Tata Steel Kolkata 25k, a 25-km
toilets were set up for the race. The toilet stops marathon that has a social cause at its heart:
are essential; an average marathoner takes over supporting the Tata Medical Center, a cancer
4.5 hours to complete the course.) hospital in Kolkata. While Kolkata is not
Sydney, where TCS begins its engagement associated with chart-busting running events,
with the City2Surf running event this year, more than 10,000 people turned out for the
which is arguably the world’s biggest running race, which was held on December 17, 2017.
event, with more than 82,000 enthusiastic The Tata Steel Kolkata 25k has grown
participants. Numbers like these support TCS’s to become the largest such endurance race
estimation that it has garnered over a billion in eastern India. The popularity and appeal
brand impressions through the 20-odd running of such events has led Tata Steel to host
events it is involved with. running events in Jamshedpur, at its mines in
Apart from the potential for increasing Noamundi (Jharkhand) and a half marathon in
brand visibility, sporting events are also a Bhubaneshwar (Odisha).
promising engagement opportunity for clients, “City-branded marathons are about health
customers and employees. Around 3,300 people, and fitness, about community participation

COVER STORY
Men's winner Solomon Deksisa and women's champ Amane Gobena at the finish line
and about running for a cause,” says Sunil 6 million kilometres have been logged annually
Bhaskaran, vice president, corporate services, through the app, the equivalent of 150 laps
Tata Steel. “The fit was fine for Tata Steel and around the earth. That’s an active workforce in
the decision to base the running events in the the true sense of the word.
regions where we operate was logical. There TCS also banks on its IT competencies to
are three elements in our approach to sports: make running events more fun and digitally
facilitating wellness among, and the wellbeing engaging for runners and spectators. It has
of, our employees; working with the community developed a smartphone app for running
in the domain of sports; and nurturing talented races that displays event information such
young sportspeople.” as schedules, maps and running data. It also
measures the real-time status of pace, distance,
FITNESS FACTOR calories burned and other insights on a
Running is a serious matter at TCS, especially runner’s performance. A new GPS feature helps
when it comes to its employees. “Work-life spectators track, through mapped locations,
balance is an important aspect of our employees’ where their loved ones are running. This enables
lives,” says Mr Viswanathan. "People working them to show up at spots along the route to
with TCS have taken to running as a part of our cheer and offer encouragement. With about
employee health and fitness programme called 560,000 downloads, the TCS app has been voted
Fit4Life. They have been among the biggest the No 1 free app in Apple Store.
contingents at the Mumbai Marathon.” Taking the marathon route is a winning
TCS makes a donation to charity for every move for TCS, which leverages its technological
kilometre and every hour of fitness an employee expertise and is aligned with its efforts to
logs through the internal Fit4Life app. More than promote health and fitness in the community. ¨

COVER STORY
The Tata Mumbai Marathon attracted

participants from all walks of life
Race facts
l The Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018
attracted about 44,000 runners.
l
The marathon has a prize pool of
$405,000, the largest in India.
l
It is the biggest marathon in
Asia as well as the biggest mass
participation sporting event in the
continent.
l
The event had seven race
categories: marathon (42.194 km),
half marathon (21.097 km), dream
run (6 km), senior citizens race
(4.3 km), ‘champions with
disability’ (2.4 km), and the newly
added ‘timed 10-km run’.
l
Gideon Kipketer’s timing of
2:08:35 in the men’s event in 2016
and Valentine Kipketer’s 2:24:33 in
2013 are the course records for
the event.

COVER STORY
The 2017 edition of the NYC Marathon
had runners from 124 countries
Running around the world

TCS supports several globally prestigious marathons, as title sponsor,
technology partner or both:
TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON connect. It brings in nearly 10,000 donors,
Among the best-known marathons in the making the event the largest philanthropy
world, the NYC Marathon had over 98% of platform in the city. Since inception, it
participants — 50,766 runners — finishing has benefitted more than 300 civil society
the 2017 race. The total prize money for organisations and helped raise in excess of
the event, which had runners from 124 `520 million in donations.
countries, was $825,000. There were an
estimated 2.5 million spectators and the TCS LIDINGÖLOPPET
race earned $31.7 million for social partner The Swedish Lidingöloppet is one of the
New York Road Runners. It also included world’s most popular cross-country runs.
the biggest wheelchair race prize in the It takes participants through a gruelling 30-
world: $125,000 in total. km course in open terrain near Stockholm
in September each year. The 2017 edition
TCS WORLD 10K BENGALURU of the race had 22,000 participants from
With a prize pool of more than $200,000, 35 countries. TCS also sponsors other
the TCS World 10K is the biggest running events such as the Lidingöloppet 15km,
event in Bengaluru, with participants Lidingöruset (for people with special
running over 10km of city roads. What needs), Lidingörullet (wheelchair users) and
makes this race special is its social LillaLidingöloppet (kids).

COVER STORY
CLOCKING GLOBAL MILES
TCS supports more than 20 running events around the

world, and that adds up to a lot of mileage...
TECHNOLOGY PARTNERSHIPS
l BAA Boston Marathon
1 $160 300 560,000+ l Bank of America Chicago Marathon
billion+ brand million+ client
downloads of TCS l Virgin Money London Marathon
impressions raised for companies
race apps l Standard Chartered Singapore
social causes represented
Marathon
l Australian Running Festival, Canberra
TITLE SPONSORSHIPS
TCS
WORLD 10K
TCS TCS AMSTERDAM TCS Clark Animo,
BENGALURU NEW YORK CITY MARATHON 2017 TCS LIDINGÖLOPPET
MARATHON Philippines
TCS CLARK ANIMO Label for Road Races', the highest honour
Now in its ninth edition, the TCS Clark in the business. TCS has been a supporter
Animo is one of the Philippines most of the Amsterdam Marathon since 2011. ¨
exciting distance running events. The race
is held annually in Clark Pampanga and
features the 42km marathon as well as
shorter distance events. Many thousands
of runners participate in the event.
CITY2SURF, SYDNEY
The latest addition to TCS’s running
events portfolio unfolds in the southern
hemisphere. In 2018, TCS will support
three such races in Australia: the
Australian Running Festival in Canberra,
the City2Surf event in Sydney, and the
City2Sea run in Melbourne. Sydney’s
City2Surf is widely regarded as the
world’s biggest such event, with over
80,700 runners participating in 2017.
TCS AMSTERDAM MARATHON

One of the most prominent and popular
marathons in Europe, the TCS Amsterdam
Marathon hosts some 42,500 runners from
more than 80 countries. Started in 1975,
The Amsterdam run
the race has received the 'IAAF Gold

Participants line up
at the start of the TCS
Lidingöloppet, the cross-
country run with a gruelling
30-km course running
through open terrain near
Stockholm in Sweden
The benefits are many

Ravi Viswanathan, chief rooting for those who are participating. Besides,
marathons are a great platform to raise funds for
marketing officer at Tata and create awareness about worthy causes.
Consultancy Services (TCS), The wellness of our employees is a priority.
on why marathons and other Through our support for marathons globally and
our internal programmes such as Fit4Life, we
running events are good for are conveying a strong message about health and
the community, for health fitness and how they are part of the TCS culture.
Our employees have been among the biggest
and for business
contingents at the Mumbai Marathon. In short,
TCS has created an ecosystem that encourages
What led TCS to pick marathons and running marathons for employees as well as our
running events for sponsorships? clients and other partners.
Marathons offer an attractive sponsorship
avenue because they’re inclusive. We’ve found What are you looking forward to with
that endurance running, especially marathons, the Tata Mumbai Marathon?
gives us a great opportunity to connect with Over the years, TCS has partnered with many
local communities in the places where these marathons around the world and has been
events are held, and where TCS has notable involved with Mumbai Marathon for the last 10
operations and client partnerships. years. It is one of the largest marathons in the
Marathons are one of the few sporting country, with entries coming in from around
events where anyone can participate in the same the world. This time it is even more special, since
race alongside elite athletes. This draws not it is the Tata Mumbai Marathon and it is a great
only participants but spectators as well. Friends, platform for TCS to be the title sponsor and be a
family, business associates and others get part of the Chairman’s vision of ‘One Tata’.

COVER STORY
It helps us increase our engagement with

the community, raise funds for charity as well as
create societal awareness about the necessity of
good health and fitness.
TCS is the title sponsor of many

marathons around the world. Why
were these events chosen?
Association with major marathons such as
the TCS New York Marathon and the TCS
Amsterdam Marathon have significantly boosted
our brand in these key markets. For instance, in
a recent survey, the TCS Amsterdam marathon
was seen to have significantly strengthened the
company’s brand in the Netherlands.
TCS has entered into technology

partnerships for other running
events. What is the thinking
behind the two-pronged approach
of sponsorships and technology
partnerships?
Digital technology is transforming all aspects of
our society, and marathons as well. Since 2014,
we have been using our core technology skills TCS first began its support of the Amsterdam
to make the TCS New York City Marathon a Marathon in 2011, the event has grown to become
more technology-enriched and socially-engaged one of the largest and most popular marathons in
experience for participants and fans across the Europe, hosting 42,500 runners from 80 countries.
world. The app we developed for the marathon TCS employees and clients have contributed
was downloaded by 317,000 runners and fans, extensively to the event. Over the past four
the highest number for any global marathon. It years, our employees and clients have been at
has a number of new features, the most popular the forefront of an effort that helped raise more
being the ability to track up to 20 runners and than €500,000 for the VU University Medical
predict their time at different stages of the race. Center, Amsterdam, the leading cancer research
Our official London Marathon app allowed facility in the Netherlands. The company has
more than 250,000 supporters to track and won several corporate awards in recognition of
monitor their friends, families and colleagues these initiatives.
during the race in April 2017. We are thrilled
to be a part of bringing marathon action to Does TCS support any other sport in
thousands of runners and their supporters. addition to running events?
The marathon sponsorship and technology Global sports sponsorships are a major vehicle
associated with these partnerships goes beyond for promoting wellness and community
just running. development through sports. We have a
significant portfolio of past sports partnerships,
How does TCS engage with clients including tie-ups with Ferrari Formula, the India
and other stakeholders around these Premier League, the ONE Pro Cycling team in
running events? the UK, pro-cycling partnerships in Switzerland,
Here’s an example from TCS Amsterdam. Since and other cycling sponsorships in Europe. ¨

COVER STORY
On the
running
road
Long-distance running is
the path Tata Steel has
taken to bolster its links
with the community and,
in the process, provide a
boost for sports
K
olkata is not associated with crowd-
pulling running events, but when Sourav
Ganguly, India’s former cricket captain
and the city’s beloved ‘dada’, exhorts his fellow
Kolkatans to run for their health, they do. The
spurring certainly worked for the Tata Steel
Kolkata 25K run (TSK25), with more than 10,000
participants in the 2017 edition of the event.
TSK25, which has completed four years, is
the most prominent piece in Tata Steel’s embrace
of long-distance running. West Bengal, Odisha
and Jharkhand are the states where the company
has rolled out its running events, and the roster
includes the Jamshedpur Run-a-thon in 2014,
the Bhubaneswar Half Marathon in 2016 and the
Noamundi Run-a-thon in 2017.
A FINE FIT
City-centric long-distance running, particularly
Kargil war veteran Major the marathon, has become increasingly popular
DP Singh rises up to the in places like Mumbai, Bengaluru and Delhi
challenge of the Tata — the recent Tata Mumbai Marathon attracted
Steel Kolkata 25K run more than 44,000 participants — but not
so much in other Indian metros. Tata Steel
has tried to change that and its tie-up with
Procam International to launch TSK25 in 2014

COVER STORY
Participants get going in the showpiece event of the hugely popular Tata Steel Kolkata 25K run
Ethiopian distance running ace Kenenisa Bekele (centre left) and American long jump world record
holder Mike Powell (right) — also the event ambassador — at the Tata Steel Kolkata 25K run
provided a much-needed boost for running in the most popular mass-participation activity in
the city and the region as well. the country.
For Tata Steel, traditionally a big supporter The Tata Steel runs in Kolkata, Jamshedpur,
of sports and sportspeople, marathons are a Bhubaneswar and Noamundi have, additionally,
terrific way to engage with the community. been a shot in the arm for running in general in
Running is becoming all the rage in India and is eastern India.

COVER STORY
It’s flag-off time in the first edition, held in 2017, of the Tata Steel Noamundi Run-a-thon
The Kolkata event stands out in the lot. It for a wide variety of causes in spheres such
is India’s first 25km race to be accredited by as education, health, skill development,
the Association of International Marathons women empowerment and environmental
and Distance Races, a global body for long- conservation.
distance running. With a $100,000 prize The other running events in the Tata Steel
money pool, it offers a splendid platform for stable are similar in concept and execution. The
professional and amateur runners to contest Jamshedpur Run-a-thon, which promotes fitness
against the best of Indian talent as well as and a healthy work-life balance, has races in
international competitors. three categories: 10km and 7km runs open to all
Designed to pull in the greatest number and a 5km run for children under 16. The 2017
of participants, TSK25 has five categories: the run saw more than 6,000 people participating.
showpiece 25km run, an open 10km run, an
‘Ananda’ (or fun) run of 5km, a senior citizen’s RACES ALL OVER
run of 4km and a ‘champions run’ of 4km for The Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Half Marathon
people with disabilities. The event has grown is the only professional run held in Odisha.
in leaps and bounds since its 2014 unveiling Organised by the company in association with
and has the backing of Kolkata’s film industry the state government’s sports department, it
and celebrities like Ganguly. Former tennis unfolds every January and has three categories,
ace Boris Becker was the international face of 5km, 10km and 21km. The 2018 edition of the
the event in 2016 and long jump world record event had in excess of 4,500 runners.
holder Mike Powell in 2017. Noamundi is home to Tata Steel’s mining
Social responsibility and philanthropy operations. The running event here has been
are themes that have been woven into a big help for the company in reinforcing its
TSK25. The event has raised a cumulative relationship with the community. The theme for
`23.6 million in charitable funding, with the first edition of the Noamundi event, held
the 2017 edition bringing in `5.6 million. in 2017, was ‘run for biodiversity’. About 5,000
The 30 NGOs registered with the run work participants ran in four different categories: the

COVER STORY
The Tata Steel Bhubaneswar Half Marathon, jointly organised with the Odisha government, began in
2016 and is the only professional run held in the state; the 2018 edition had about 5,000 runners
More than 6,000 people participated in the 2017 edition of the Tata Steel Jamshedpur Run-a-
thon, which had the twin objectives of promoting fitness and a healthy work-life balance
10km and 7km events for men and women, a 5km part of the backing that the company provides
run for school and college students, and a 2km to sports as a whole. And, judging from the
run for the disabled. manner of their expansion, the road ahead looks
The running events that Tata Steel supports more than promising to runners and running in
have grown together to become an important eastern India. ¨

COVER STORY
Mountaineering is among
the skills taught at the
Tata Steel Adventure
Foundation
Steeled for play

The Tata Steel story in sports dates back nearly a century and it
illuminates a culture of excellence in different disciplines
W
hat could steel and sports possibly have started training for the peak. If there was a sports
in common? There is no correlation map drawn of India, the state of Jharkhand
between the making of steel and the would outshine the others thanks to Tata Steel’s
moulding of sportspeople, yet Tata Steel has sporting efforts there over the decades.
been one of the foremost corporate promoters “Historically, we have always supported
of Indian sports. The company has backed sports,” says TV Narendran, global chief executive
individuals and institutions, built academies for and managing director, Tata Steel, pointing out
football, archery, athletics, hockey and mountain that it was a tradition started by the company’s
climbing, and it has been doing all of this for first chairman, Dorab Tata, who helped finance
over a century. India’s participation in the 1924 Paris Olympics.
The Tata Football Academy, established Tata Steel later established the Jamshedpur
nearly three decades ago, has been home to India’s Athletic Club in 1927 and started sports
best footballers. Many members of the country’s competitions for working women and children.
archery team hail from Tata Archery Academy,
including the outstanding Deepika Kumari. AN INCLUSIVE CULTURE
There are 45 Arjuna Award winners on Much of this has been about promoting a wider
Tata Steel’s rolls. Cricketers Sourav Ganguly and more inclusive sports culture. “Traditionally,
and Ajit Agarkar have worked for the company. Tata Steel has supported sports that did not
Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb have enough sponsorship,” says Mr Narendran.
Mount Everest, joined Tata Steel before she In 1984, the company set up the Tata Youth

COVER STORY
On the ball with Jamshedpur FC

After 30 years of training India’s best talent, Tata is a big advantage for Jamshedpur FC. “We have
Steel has taken its engagement with football control over the events we conduct and we can
a step further. In 2017, it bid for a spot in the ensure a better experience for the audience and
India Super League (ISL) and won. Jamshedpur other stakeholders,” says Mr Choudhari.
Football Club is coached by Steve Coppell (see The larger intent behind Jamshedpur FC is
interview on page 109), the Manchester United not just to win tournaments; it aims to enhance
legend. The team brings together some of India’s the overall ecosystem for the sport. That means
best footballers and experienced foreign players. grassroots football, youth football and women’s
This is the company’s maiden foray into football, as also improving infrastructure and
commercial sports. “The time was right to make training and development modules.
the move,” says Mukul Vinayak Choudhari, chief Jamshedpur FC is also putting together a
executive of Jamshedpur FC. “ISL has managed plan that focuses on community development.
to get a huge number of fans to the stadium and “We are getting closer to the objective of having
it has strong television ratings. And this gives our people from tribal and rural areas participate in
academy cadets the opportunity to play for an football,” says Mr Choudhari.
elite team.” ISL has a role to play in the process. “Thanks
Tata Steel has shown its seriousness by to the league, which is televised in more than 100
upping its budget for football from `20 million a countries, the club playing from Jamshedpur and
couple of years ago to around `800 million now. named after the city has put Jharkhand on the
Having access to the JRD Tata Sports Complex world football map.”
Jamshedpur FC players
unwind at a training session
COVER STORY
Academy
rewards
The academies established by Tata Steel
down the years have nurtured talent in a
variety of sports:
Tata Steel Adventure Foundation

Established in 1984 and headed by
Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman
to climb Mt Everest, TSAF is all about
promoting the spirit of adventure and
enterprise, and leadership development.
It has helped several enterprising
mountaineers, including Premlata Bachendri Pal with the late JRD Tata
Agarwal, who at 48 became the oldest
Indian woman to climb Mt Everest, and Selected candidates join up for a four-
Arunima Sinha, who lost her leg in a year residential programme. Till date,
train accident, became the first female 213 cadets have graduated from TFA, of
amputee in the world to climb Mt Everest. whom 141 have represented the country.
TSAF works with children as well, notably Academy cadets have also captained
Talim Ansari, a teenager from Jharkhand, the Indian football team (in different age
and Aman Verma, the 13-year-old groups), and two former cadets have won
climbing sensation. It is also involved the Arjuna Award. There are 28 ex-cadets
with rural youth; more than 3,000 of them participating in the current season of the
have benefitted from TSAF’s outdoor Indian Super League.
leadership programme.
JRD Tata Sports Complex
Tata Football Academy Inaugurated in 1991, this 30-acre, world-
TFA was established by the Tata Steel class complex in Jamshedpur has a
Sports Foundation in 1987. The academy seating capacity of 40,000. As a multi-
was conceived to nurture budding Indian use stadium, it provides athletes with
footballers, train them in a scientific way boarding and training facilities. The
and raise the overall standards of Indian complex has an international-size football
football. TFA identifies and shortlists field, with an eight-lane synthetic running
raw talent from all over the country. track around the field. It is primarily used
Adventure Centre, known today as the Tata The community has been at the heart
Steel Adventure Foundation, which is helmed of the activities that Tata Steel supports.
by Ms Pal. Three years later, the company “We have nurtured archery because it
launched the Tata Football Academy. Indian is native to the part of the country we
athletics, too, received a boost when Tata Steel belong to and the tribal communities
unveiled the Tata Athletics Academy in 2004. have a natural talent for it. Moreover,
The company sets aside roughly `50 million Tata Steel and Tata Trusts have set up a
every year to support its sports academies. hockey academy in Jharkhand, which has

COVER STORY
for football and athletics, but also offers

facilities for archery, basketball, hockey,
swimming, table tennis, tennis and
volleyball.
Tata Archery Academy

TAA was formally inaugurated in 1996. It
aims to spot India’s promising archery
talent, particularly from the Jharkhand
region, and train them to achieve success
at national and international meets.
Over the last 16 years, the academy has
trained 127 cadets, 45 of whom have
represented India at various levels. Its
most popular student is Deepika Kumari,
who has made it to the world’s top ranks
in the sport. In Rio Olympics 2016, out of
the four archers representing India, three
were from the TAA.
Tata Athletics Academy

Set up in 2004, this academy was meant
to train runners and athletes. It is no
longer operational, but Tata Steel has
joined hands with the Sports Authority of
India (SAI) to run the Athletics and Boxing
Centre at the JRD Tata Sports Complex.
Naval Tata Hockey Academy

NTHA, located in Jamshedpur, is a joint
venture between Tata Steel and Tata
Trusts that was launched in 2017. Tata
Steel is the first private company in India
to start a hockey academy. It intends to Deepika Kumari is
tap into the vast pool of natural talent one of the world’s top
for hockey among tribal communities in woman archers
Jharkhand, and train and support them to
make their mark in the global arena.
traditionally nurtured talent,” says event. The company also organises a football
Mr Narendran. Its sports mission has seen tournament along with other Tata companies
Tata Steel engage more closely with the tribal located in Jamshedpur. The event draws around
communities living near its plants. Every 30,000 youth from across Jharkhand.
year, the company hosts Samvaad, an annual While sport has served as a unique
tribal conclave attended by hundreds of tribes link between Tata Steel’s business and the
from across India. In 2017, for the first time, community, its role in the company’s culture and
participants were treated to a tribal sporting identity has grown stronger than ever. ¨

COVER STORY
Kati, a sport of the Santhals, demands agility,

strength and quick reflexes
In a league of their own

Sekkor is a game played by Jharkhand’s the regions where the sport is played.
Ho tribe. According to tribal folklore, it’s For the past four years, Tata Steel
an ancient game that was first played has been working to revive the game by
between men and devils, with the former organising hundreds of sekkor matches
emerging as winners. A sekkor is a and training interested participants. In
large, oval-shaped wooden top loosely 2017, Tata Steel’s ores, mines and quarries
attached with a string. There are two division organised a two-month long
teams with 9 or 11 members each. The Sekkor Premier League at the Noamundi
objective of the game is to keep hitting Sports Complex. About 300 people signed
the sekkor of the opposing team till it up for sekkor training, and 2,300 players
goes out of the playing circle. The game from about 120 villages participated.
identifies with the spirit and swiftness Kati, a game played by the Santhal
of the Ho tribals. Played in summer, the tribals, requires agility, strength and
tribe believes that sekkor brings rain to quick reflexes. It is traditionally played

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Played by the Ho tribe, sekkor is finding its place in

the sporting sun thanks to Tata Steel; (below) the
equipment required for the two games
after the harvest season by teams of 10

members each. Every player has a kati (a
semi-circular wooden disc) and a tarhi (a
6ft bamboo stick). Players try to hit the
opponent’s kati by propelling the bamboo
stick with their feet. Tata Steel’s Tribal
Cultural Society has been organising kati
tournaments in the villages of Jharkhand
and Odisha, with participation from up to
100 teams and more than 1,000 players.
The revival of kati and sekkor in
Jharkhand is testament to Tata Steel’s
efforts to preserve the sporting culture
and traditions of tribal communities in
the regions where it operates. The effort
surely has been worth it.

‘Our involvement with
sports will intensify’
Sunil Bhaskaran is sure about
the value that the support of
sports and sportspeople has
brought to Tata Steel, not least
through the linkages with the
wider community that this has
enabled. Mr Bhaskaran, vice
president, corporate services,
at Tata Steel, speaks here about
the company’s sporting culture,
the sports academies it has
established and its belief that
the proper nurturing of talent is
the way for India to find a place
in the global sporting sun.
What has changed over the thinking of revitalising its strategy on sports and
years and what has remained the figuring out how it can make a bigger difference
same in Tata Steel’s approach to to Indian sports. There are three elements in our
supporting sports and sportspeople? approach to sports: facilitating wellness among,
Tata Steel has had a long and enduring and the wellbeing of, our employees; working
commitment to sports. We have, over the with the community in the domain of sports; and
years, created infrastructure for every sports nurturing talented young sportspeople.
discipline that is popular in and around our
areas of operation. Jamshedpur Football Club and the
In the current context, Tata Steel has been Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA)

COVER STORY
represent two different approaches in There are more than 1,600 trainees at Tata Steel’s
the backing that Tata Steel provides training centres and academies. The academies
in the sporting arena. What are the not only provide intensive training programmes
objectives of, and expectations from, but also all-round developmental opportunities,
these two initiatives? with facilities for formal education and vocational
One must first consider the history and connect training. We would like to strengthen these
between Tata Steel and football. The Tata Football academies and support and groom budding talent.
Academy (TFA) was set up more than 30 years ago That’s what we are hoping to accomplish
to help Indian talent realise its potential. Back then with the hockey academy in Jharkhand. The game
our objective was to help Indian football, and that’s is very popular among tribal communities in
what we did. Of the 200-odd football players who the state’s rural reaches. This belt has produced
have passed out of from the academy, around 150 many international hockey players, and that with
have represented the country. I don’t think there a bare minimum of infrastructure and negligible
is any other cradle of football in India that has financial and technical help.
achieved as much. There would be many more job
Tata Steel’s foray into the Indian Super opportunities available for cadets of the hockey
League (ISL) is part of our effort to take the academy when compared with their counterparts
overall ecosystem of the sport to a higher level. It in archery and football, since many government
is a matter of pride that 24 TFA cadets — of the and public sector organisations have hockey
140 Indian players who have been signed — are teams. Moreover, with the success of the Indian
currently playing in the league. Hockey League, the demand for quality players is
NTHA in Jamshedpur is a joint venture going to increase.
between Tata Steel and Tata Trusts that was
launched in 2017. Tata Steel is the first private How do you see the company
sector company in India to start a hockey involvement with sports panning out
academy. Our intent is to tap the vast pool of over the next five years?
natural hockey talent in the tribal communities in I see our involvement with sporting activities
Jharkhand, to train and support them in making a intensifying, especially in sporting disciplines
mark on the global stage. that find favour with stakeholders living in and
around our operational areas. The focus will be
What sort of scope do you see for Tata on creating centres of excellence and promoting
Steel to collaborate with other Tata individual talent.
entities in promoting and supporting
sports, as has happened in the tie-up Tata Steel has organised a league for
with Tata Trusts to set up NTHA? the tribal sport of sekkor. Are there
Our being in the ISL is part of a Tata group plans to support other tribal sports?
initiative that is anchored in Jamshedpur. This is We believe that sport plays a vital role in the
because we have the JRD Tata Sports Complex, holistic development of communities. The tribes
TFA and excellent football infrastructure available of Jharkhand have had a culture of playing
in Jamshedpur. As for the tie-ups, there is traditional games. Sadly, these games have
tremendous scope to collaborate with Tata Steel’s withered away with time. In fact, many of them
sister companies and also with other Tata entities have been forgotten and are almost lost.
in the region. Tata Steel’s Tribal Cultural Society has been
making consistent efforts to promote and revive
Where to from here for Tata Steel other tribal games, such as kati, chhur, bahu chor
with the sports academies that it has and ramdel. Training and holding tournaments
fostered? What have you learned from for these sports are part of Tata Steel’s efforts to
the experience? promote and revive what are tribal traditions. ¨

TOUGH SAILING: Members of the
Land Rover BAR Academy hiking out at
a sailing event in Los Cabos in Mexico.
The academy supports talented British
sailors in the 19-24 age category,
with the aim of readying them for the
America’s Cup, the holy grail of the sport.
In the zone
Photographic vignettes from the sporting
album of the Tata group and its companies
COVER STORY

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MOTORING MANIA: British sports stars Zara

Tindall (extreme right above) and Lewis Moody
(second from left) with athletes training for the
2017 edition of the Invictus Games, which has
been supported by Jaguar Land Rover since its
inception in 2014. Invictus is an international
multi-sport event featuring wounded, injured or
sick armed services personnel and other veterans
from different countries. The Jaguar I-Pace
eTrophy (right), the world’s first ‘production
battery electric vehicle race series’, will feature
20 identical Jaguar cars in cities across the world
when it kicks off later this year. Jaguar returned
(left) to motor racing in October 2016, joining the
all-electric FIA Formula E-street racing series,
reinforcing the brand’s faith in electric vehicles.

ddFaci conduci visquam et vat, ne
peris probse num tur. Sim verem,
omno. Etrae tero et poterestores consili
ssillem tum omneque co entro, ompero,
norei issus hos dius oc oraes inatus per
iame novid movid me in tabenis, Bitabi
invocaedinat viri ius consus, esidio, que
depse pulessulis bonstif esimuntemqua
vastra que et? Nihinam ceperiontiam
nu et ninam num viverei cuppl. Verente
con te noc, que poptis esto pos consule
rfiridit proximus et? Nihi, ut in patus
vestruntertu senicamque vehen tum
nos cruncervid muspimul vidic me
audet? Senius, senam ips, pat Catum
locrum menteri, num que porei confes
pulicienihi, comandam tus pra mendit
ad consus, Patatiam ponsuam perimus
sentiae essendit.
KIDDING AROUND: Children at a summer football training camp

held in August 2017 in Velsen-Zuid, a town in the Dutch province of
North Holland. The camp is part of a programme supported by Tata
Steel Europe, in partnership with local football club Telstar, and comes
under the umbrella of its ‘future generations’ initiative. Tata Steel
and Telstar jointly run ‘playing for success’, a project for kids with
learning disabilities. The company also organises the Tata Kids of
Steel Football events, which attract hundreds of children.
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BODY AND MIND: Participants (above) get started

at the Tata Steel Richard Burton 10k event, held annually
in Port Talbot in Wales (UK). Now in its 35th year, the
race takes its name from the late British actor Richard
Burton, who hailed from nearby Pontrhydyfen. Nearly
2,000 runners took part in the Tata Steel-sponsored event
in 2016, raising funds for local charities and community
groups. Lucas van Foreest (right), a 17-year-old from
the Netherlands, plays fellow International Master
Praggnanandhaa Rameshbabu, a 12-year-old from India,
in the 2017 edition of the Tata Steel Chess Tournament,
held in the coastal village of Wijk aan Zee in Holland. Tata
Steel Europe also hosts ‘chess on tour’ events across the
country under its Tata Kids of Steel Chess initiative.

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TEAMING UP: Badminton ace Saurabh

Sharma (left), senior officer, sports, with Tata
Power Delhi Distribution (TPDD), has represented
India at the international level in doubles and
mixed doubles events. He is ranked No1 in
mixed doubles and No5 in doubles in India
and has triumphed in several national and
global tournaments, including the South Africa
International Badminton Series (2017). Vinod
Kumar (second from left below), deputy chief
coach of the Indian wrestling team, has been with
TPDD since its inception in 2002. Kumar won top
honours in the 48kg category in the Junior World
Championship held in Colorado (USA) in 1981
and represented India in the Seoul Asian Games
(1986) and the Seoul Olympics (1988) before
turning to coaching. He has been coaching the
Indian wrestling team for the last three years and
is also a brand ambassador for the company.

COVER STORY
LEGS FOR FITNESS: Participants (above) in the 1,480-km long ‘great India run’, held ahead of the 2016 Rio
de Janeiro Olympics, after the ultra-marathon finished in Mumbai. Sponsored by Tata Salt, the standout brand
from the Tata Chemicals stable, the event brought together ultra-runners from around the world. They covered
the distance, spread across India, in 18 days. More than competition, the race was about promoting the cause of
running and fitness as a way of life. The winners (below) of the 10-km event at the 2017 edition of Pinkathon, the
multi-city initiative that is India’s biggest run for women. The objective of the race, supported by Tata Salt, is to
spread awareness about women’s health issues, and to encourage women to get healthy and fit through running.
Pinkathon 2017 brought together 60,000 women in the eight Indian cities where it was organised.

COVER STORY
MAKING A RACQUET: Sitthikom Thammasin (top) of Thailand on way to defeating Lakhsya Sen of India
in the men’s final of the 10th edition of the Tata Open India International Challenge, which was held in Mumbai
in late 2017. Organised by the Tata group and Tata Capital in association with the Prakash Padukone Badminton
Academy, the challenge had players from eight countries and a 167-strong Indian contingent. The latest edition
(above) of the Tata Open Maharashtra, India’s only ATP World Tour event, was held in January 2018 in Pune.
Former champions of this tennis tournament include Stan Wawrinka, Marin Cilic, Pat Rafter and Carlos Moya.

COVER STORY
In sports we trust
Tata Trusts has taken a big leap by making sports an
instrument of its social development agenda, and the
link is set to get stronger in the coming days
I
t’s child’s play that Tata Trusts is chasing after, uplift agenda. There is a strategy in place and the
and getting there is serious business. Sports resources to implement it are being increased.
and games as tools for social development, “Our promotion of sports has become more
with children and youth at the centre of the structured,” says Neelam Babardesai, sports
action — that’s the thrust as Tata Trusts seeks head at Tata Trusts. “We want to help develop
out new avenues to help support India’s quest to a sports culture in India and there are multiple
create a culture of sporting success. aspects to this. It starts with enabling children
In football, hockey, boxing and more, across at the grassroots level to participate in different
India and particularly in the country’s Northeast sports disciplines, with trained coaches, proper
region, through a variety of partners and direct curriculum and life skills development. There are
interventions as well, Tata Trusts has committed a lot of issues right there at the beginning: lack of
itself to sports as a way to realise its community infrastructure, dearth of coaches and more.”
uplift objectives. And the allegiance is set to
get deeper still as the organisation spreads TARGETED INTERVENTIONS
the canopy of its coverage to include a greater Tata Trusts put its mind to plugging these
number of beneficiaries and sports disciplines. gaps, identified regions where it could make
Football and hockey get the most attention, a meaningful contribution and the sport
as of now, in the Tata Trusts scheme for sports. through which this could be accomplished.
There are two components in the spread: grants Creating infrastructure is not central to the
for organisations working on specific sports plan, but funds for quality coaches, training and
initiatives, and feet-on-the-ground programmes equipment certainly are. “We want to improve
where Tata Trusts is involved much more on what is available and we have partnered
substantially in implementation. local communities, sports associations and
Projects in the two categories are generally government agencies to make that happen,”
housed in, and integrated with, the thematic adds Ms Babardesai.
sphere of education. The grassroots approach is Picking the appropriate sport is important.
what Tata Trusts’ is partial to, amenable as this is “We target a sport with roots in the region —
to its longer-term objective of employing sports hockey in Jharkhand, for instance, or football
as an essential part of its broader community in the Northeast — and run with that,” says

COVER STORY
Ms Babardesai. “The pressing need is to build sustaining it, is critical from the Tata Trusts
capacity and the biggest challenge is getting perspective. “The aim is to work with our
the right coaches and trainers to guide the partners to augment ongoing efforts and to
children.” Hiring still-young people from enhance available infrastructure,” explains
the community to do the job is a welcome Ms Babardesai. “Finding the right partners is the
byproduct in a milieu where employment key. The stronger the partnership, the sooner the
opportunities are scarce. project will become sustainable.”
With its football and hockey initiatives, Tata Trusts’ involvement with sports in
both managed in-house, Tata Trusts has reached India is set to get more intense in the years
out to children through government schools ahead. “We will continue working directly with
and local associations. The community angle children and this engagement will gather further
counts for plenty in the well-being of any social grassroots momentum through our partnerships
development project, but that’s never a problem with schools and local communities,” explains
when it comes to sports. As for the kids, it does Ms Babardesai. “There are a number of sports we
not take much prompting for them to savour the would like to support but we have narrowed our
sports cookie. focus in the immediate term.”
That means adding athletics, badminton,
SOCIAL UPLIFT THRUST kabaddi and archery to a portfolio where
It was in 2016 that Tata Trusts decided to give football and hockey stand out. “We are
sports a more prominent — and permanent collaborating with Tata Steel in the hockey
— profile in its agenda for social development. initiative and we would like to have more
Bringing sports under the education rubric was such collaborations, especially with the sports
a natural outgrowth of the Trusts’ thinking. “We academies that the group supports,” says
have been involved in education in rural areas Ms Babardesai. “There’s a lot we can learn from
and for marginalised communities and we are the academies and a lot we can take from them
tapping into that for our sports initiatives,” says to the regions where we operate.”
Ms Babardesai. “The support systems we already For the folks at Tata Trusts, the name of the
have in place are vehicles for these initiatives.” game is sports and that’s good news for many
Keeping an initiative going, which means thousands of children starved of playtime. ¨

COVER STORY
Tribal bloom in hockey country

H ockey runs in the blood of people in the
tribal heartlands of Jharkhand’s Khunti
and Simdega districts. The passion the game
and was seeded to Simdega more recently —
but it has made enough of an impact to have
the wider community cheering for more. “The
generates in young and old is a big reason programme has been well-received and that’s
why Tata Trusts has been successful with its because of the natural affinity with hockey here,”
grassroots hockey programme in the state. A says Ayan Deb, area manager, Tata Trusts. “We
bigger reason is the organisation’s commitment were able to establish an immediate connect
to making the initiative fruitful for participants with the community.”
and the community as a whole. The Tata Trusts objective is to
The hockey project is still in its infancy — professionalise grassroots hockey, and this
it began in Khunti one-and-a-half years back cannot happen without the community being
Dutch hockey legend Floris Jan Bovelander plays with kids in Simdega
Sticking it out
Tata Trusts’ grassroots hockey Some 3,500 children in 65 schools
development programme for girls in Khunti and about 1,000 in
and boys plays out in the Khunti and 20 schools in Simdega have
Simdega districts of Jharkhand. benefitted from the programme.
There are twice-a-week sessions Tata Trusts takes care of the
for children aged 10-14 years, equipment needs of the kids and
conducted in a total of 85 has ensured training for young
government schools in the two people from the region to become
largely tribal districts. coaches and trainers.

COVER STORY
Trainees at a school in Simdega

in Jharkhand on the day the
grassroots hockey programme
was launched in December 2017

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Coaches from the Netherlands at training

sessions for coaches in Khunti (above) and in
Simdega (left); the sessions are a vital part of
the programme’s ‘training the trainer’ module
school events and wildly popular hockey

festivals. There’s a ‘training the trainer’ facet
through which coaches — most of whom have
played hockey at the state or national level —
are selected after trials involving experts from
Bovelander & Bovelander BV, established by
Dutch hockey legend Floris Jan Bovelander.
Training the coaches is part of what the
firm does through ‘One Million Hockey Legs’, a
project whose mission is to increase the number
of people playing the game. Mr Bovelander and
his team have also contributed to the setting up
of the Naval Tata Hockey Academy (NTHA),
a partnership between Tata Trusts and Tata
Steel to groom the best of tribal talent from
a part of the project. “Local people have, for Jharkhand and elsewhere in the country.
instance, taken the lead in the levelling work of Located in Jamshedpur, the Academy,
fields to make them ready for playing,” says barely a year old, is concentrating on the long-
Mr Deb. “The project has provided us with a way term good of Indian hockey. It has the first
to extend ourselves beyond the classroom and batch of 26 students — boys in the 14-16 age
beyond traditional education initiatives.” group — and will enrol 26 new trainees every
Implemented by the Collectives for summer for the next four years, reaching a total
Integrated Livelihoods in India, an associate of 104. There will be girls, too, in the gathering
body of Tata Trusts, the hockey programme and they will, over the period of the four-year
focuses on training schoolchildren. It also course, receive European-style coaching, a
develops feeder centres and organises inter- proper academic education, necessary nutrition,

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Boys at a centre in Khunti in Jharkhand

learning something different

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These girls from Khunti are part of the grassroots hockey programme and they compete in local tournaments
psychological counselling and exposure to convince parents to let their girl children
to competition. join the programme. “The coaching happens
To bridge the gap between the grassroots after school hours and this is a region which has
programme and the academy, Tata Trusts suffered due to the Maoist insurgency,” says
is setting up development centres to enable Mr Deb. “Naturally enough, parents were
trainees to make the transition from learning reluctant to take the risk, but attitudes changed
hockey to excelling in the game. The 26 new once the project took off.”
inductees will be from these feeder centres. What has also changed is the behaviour of
The academy could well be valuable to the the trainees. “The Munda tribe is predominant
future of hockey in Jharkhand, and India by here and there is, typically, a culture of silence
extension, but it’s the grassroots programme that that envelops them,” explains Mr Deb. “The kids
counts for most in the philanthropic context. in our programme are, I believe, breaking out of
“Tata Trusts has had a presence in Jharkhand this culture and its wariness of outsiders. They
for seven years now, and the hockey project is a are more articulate now, more knowledgeable
feather in our cap,” says Mr Deb. about life and the world around them. And that’s
There have been challenges along the way. more important than merely going out with a
In the early days of the initiative, it was difficult stick and learning to play hockey.” ¨

COVER STORY
A foothold for footie

I t is a truth universally acknowledged that India
needs a leg up in the world’s most popular
sport. For too long has performance failed to
done to get the two in harmony. The multiple
initiatives by Tata Trusts in football are aimed at
helping the country find its feet in a game that is
match potential, and far too little has been wildly popular in many regions. And it is trying

COVER STORY
Boy joy in full flight at

a centre in Mizoram
to achieve the objective by going back to the age group, is the most important of the three
basics. components in the Tata Trusts basket for
The grassroots programme in Mizoram football. There’s also a ‘centre for excellence’ in
and Manipur, targeting children in the 6-14 Aizawl in Mizoram. Slated for kick-off in April

COVER STORY
A team from the grassroots football programme in Mizoram after winning honours at a state-level tournament

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Trainees in the Tata Trusts-U Dream

football programme at the Bitburg
Football Academy in Germany
2018, the centre will offer a residential training football associations and education departments
programme for 25 boys in the 10-15 age group. of the two states, as well as local clubs, to bring
The third of the direct intervention the project up to scale. “There’s no football
initiatives of Tata Trusts in football has development programme anywhere in India
a German flavour to it. In this year-old that can compare in size and ambition to what
partnership with U Dream Football, Tata Trusts we are doing,” says Biswanath Sinha, associate
is supporting the training and educational needs programme director with the Trusts.
of 35 boys from Mizoram, Manipur, Meghalaya The partnership model is crucial to the
and Assam. The carefully selected young talents project. “We could have done this on our own
train at the Bitburg Football Academy in but we wanted to involve all stakeholders,”
Germany. High-profile Borussia Dortmund, one adds Mr Sinha. “It’s not always easy working
of Europe’s elite clubs, is the technical partner with local clubs, football associations and
and the International School of Dusseldorf government, bringing them all together to
provides the non-footballing education in this pursue a common vision, because they have
comprehensive residential programme. their own priorities and issues. It was a challenge
It is the grassroots project in Mizoram but we are on the right track here.”
and Manipur that stands apart in the Trusts’ Finding football grounds was a problem
portfolio. It has been running for two-and-a- that required much tackling, the two states
half years and Tata Trusts has tied up with the being so mountainous. The rewards have been

COVER STORY
Fields of dreams
Tata Trusts’ grassroots programme is
the most important of its initiatives in
football:
Operational in Mizoram and
Manipur, the programme sees
3,500 boys and girls in the 6-14
age bracket being trained at 70
centres housed in government
schools and local clubs.
Each centre has 50 players. In
Mizoram, 10% of the trainees are
girls. In Manipur, it is 20% and
there are two centres exclusively
for them.
There are two-hour sessions
twice a week, with equipment and
coaches provided for by the Trusts.
There are about 120 coaches,
under 35 years of age, who have
been trained for the project.
worth the heavy climbing. “Tata Trusts has been effort. Our sessions start at 6 in the morning and
working in the Northeast for about 10 years now that means some of our children set out for the
and there hasn’t been anything like this in terms centres many hours in advance.”
of interest and involvement,” says Mr Sinha. Tata Trusts will increase the number
“The entire community is on board and this of centres in the project to 140 soon and
doesn’t happen with our projects in agriculture, that means a doubling of the trainees in the
education and the like. Football has made for an programme to about 12,000. “Our main goal
inclusive initiative.” is to improve the lot of Indian football,” says
The enthusiasm is highest, naturally enough, Mr Sinha. “We need long-term investments to
among the girls and boys in the programme. get to a stage where India can play in a World
“We had initially decided to have kids staying in Cup. We’ll have to make remarkable progress
a 3-km radius at the centres but there are those to achieve that and the only way to do it is by
who come from 30km away,” says Mr Sinha. concentrating on the young and starting at
“Travel in a hilly region takes a lot of time and the grassroots.” ¨

COVER STORY
Coaches being taken through their paces during a certification course — conducted in
partnership with the Mizoram Football Association — for trainers in the grassroots programme
COVER STORY
Spreading the net

T ata Trusts has eight grant programmes in
the sports sphere through which it supports
organisations working on initiatives in varied
communities; backing a project that works
with slum children in Bhubaneswar in Odisha,
and helping former and current Indian
disciplines. Almost all of these initiatives are Olympians through an outreach programme.
out of the ordinary, and it includes supporting Four of the projects that stand out in this
a football team from one of Mumbai’s fishing collection are:
REHABILITATION THROUGH ‘FOOTBALL

FOR THE BLIND’ — ACROSS INDIA
The Kochi-based Society for the Rehabilitation of the Visually Challenged (SRVC), a voluntary
organisation, has joined hands with the Paralympic Committee of India to promote blind football
in the country. It organises orientation and talent-discovery camps across the country, and
training camps and tournaments involving international trainers and referees. The society has
set up India’s only residential football academy for the visually impaired in Kerala, to provide
coaching, vocational skills training and employment opportunities to these disabled athletes.
Thanks to their efforts, India was able to form, in 2013, a national blind football team for the first
time. The team currently ranks 23rd in the world and, with support from Tata Trusts, participated
in the 2015 edition of the Asian Blind Football Championships in Tokyo. The society has also
pitched in to set up the Indian Blind Football Federation.

COVER STORY
LIFE THROUGH CRICKET —

MUMBAI
A collaboration between Tata Trusts
and the New Zealand-based nonprofit,
Cricket Live Foundation, this programme
combines cricket, academics and life skills
to reach out to and help children from
poor and marginalised communities.
Integrated personality development is the
objective in an initiative that uses cricket-
themed training to transform the lives of
48 children from four municipal schools
in the Mumbai suburb of Borivali. The
programme fosters character development
in the kids through structured, early-
stage interventions in which cricket is the
medium. Training of coaches has been
incorporated in a project where education
and the teaching of life skills are critical
components.

COVER STORY
BOXING SUPPORT PROGRAMME —

MANIPUR
Tata Trusts has pledged support to a development
project designed by the Mary Kom Regional
Boxing Foundation, named after and run by the
five-time world champion and Olympic medallist
(seen here at right). The project will, over a five-
year period, work towards developing the skills
and talent of 15 carefully selected boxers through
a structured and result-oriented training schedule.
The boxers, who are in the 10-16 age group, will
be part of the residential programme run by
the academy. They will be provided with a full
scholarship and training in sports, academics and
life skills. Six of the chosen 15 are girls and many
of them have already made a mark at district- and
state-level competitions.

COVER STORY
COMMUNITY SPORTS PROGRAMME —

BHUBANESWAR, ODISHA
Operational since September 2015, this project is
being implemented by the Pro Sport Development
Trust at the Beena Bharati Vidya Mandira School.
It involves children from low-income families in
Bhubaneswar’s slum settlements. Sport is blended
with social and personality development to enable
the all-round growth of children, who are in the
9-14 age bracket. The intent is to improve the
physical well-being of the kids, while providing
them lessons in leadership and teamwork.
Football, volleyball and netball are some of the
sports through which the project unfolds at the
school, one of seven such institutions in the Tata
Trusts-supported community sports programme,
which has benefitted 618 children thus far.

COVER STORY
Wellness is
welcome
A healthy workforce makes for a high-performing workplace. That’s the
‘get fit and stay fit’ doctrine driving the varied efforts of Tata companies
to encourage their employees to give exercising a go. Running
programmes, in-house gyms, yoga sessions, facilities for sports and
time out for games — the spectrum is wide as these companies swell
their wellness quotient.
Tata Steel Europe’s ‘100-day global challenge’ event, Trent’s ‘fit and fun
franchise’ and the many initiatives of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
are examples of how a culture of physical activity is being promoted and
nurtured in the group. Fun is an essential element in these programmes
and collective participation is of the essence, but it doesn’t take much
in this day and age for people to dump the sedentary way, to take to
a sport or to start and sustain a fitness regimen. Here’s how four Tata
companies are helping their employees get sporty.

COVER STORY
TCSers get fit in Singapore...
TCS runs what is perhaps

the most comprehensive and
wide-ranging series of fitness
and wellness programmes
in the Tata group. For its
Asia Pacific employees, TCS
invites sports personalities
and fitness champs to share
their stories. The TCS Fit4life
initiative brings together
wellness, team spirit and
social cause while pushing
TCSers to improve their fitness
by pledging a certain number
of kilometres and hours to
a physical task — which
could unfold in any number
of games and sports — in
an environment of fun and
friendly competition. In 2017,
more than 76,000 TCSers
participated in a Fit4life
programme, contributing
13.52 million kilometres and
3.1 million hours through ...and in Tianjin in China
different fitness activities.

COVER STORY
TRENT’S ‘FIT AND FUN FRANCHISE’ (above and top) organises a host of health and wellness events to ensure
a healthy way of life for all its employees. There are fitness classes, diet and health sessions conducted by
experts, sports and games, and even a club for marathon enthusiasts. It all adds up in Trent’s effort to stay fit.
Health-check camps, mind and meditation sessions, cycling and golf, and fitness initiatives are among the
activities organised by mjunction, a company with a pioneering presence in India’s e-auction business.

COVER STORY
TATA STEEL has fitness and sports events and initiatives in every part of its operational spread across the world.
For instance, Tata Steel Europe’s ‘global challenge’ (above) is designed to help employees deal with everyday health
and wellbeing risks through team-building and fun activities. Forming teams of seven, employees compete against
colleagues from different locations to see which team records the maximum number of steps taken over a 100-day
period. The personal and the professional and the physical and the psychological are blended to get the best out of
participants, who receive tips on exercising, nutrition, sleep and mental health. The benefits have been obvious.

Members of the Tata Sports Club cricket team pose with club president JRD Tata
after it won the Times of India Challenge Shield tournament in 1941
Club class
Tata Sports Club has been both breeding ground and sporting
haven for individual and team talent from across the Tata group
M
ore than 80 years back, the Tata group Tata Sports Club’s hockey team flourished
made a specific commitment to backing in the fertile sporting environment that the
sports and sportspeople in an India group created. In 1951, the team triumphed in
where ‘natives’ rarely got an opportunity to the Hockey League Cup, the Bombay Provincial
showcase their skills. The setting up of Tata Hockey Cup, the Gold Cup and the Aga Khan
Sports Club in 1937 would prove to be a boon Cup. Several members of the consistently
for generations of budding and established talent powerful Bombay team competing in the
employed across the Tata group. national championships were from the club.
With a thoroughly enthusiastic JRD Tata The Tata Sports Club football team was
as its president — the legendary Tata group equally well-established, winning numerous
chairman held the position from 1937 to 1980 honours in tournaments like the Durand Cup,
— Tata Sports Club never lacked for resources, the IFA Shield, the Rovers Cup and the Harwood
or the ambition to set high standards in a variety League. The club was equally outstanding in
of sporting disciplines, most notably hockey, cricket, with stars such as Nari Contractor, Dilip
football, cricket and athletics. Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Sandeep Patil and
It was customary in India’s early post- Saurav Ganguly in its ranks.
Independence years for the big companies of the The contribution the club made to the
group, Tata Steel, Tata Power, Tata Motors and cause of Indian sport was best articulated by
Indian Hotels among them, to employ emerging the famous journalist and broadcaster AFS
sporting talent and to provide a stage where they ‘Bobby’ Talyarkhan: “With the founding of Tata
could display their ability and maximise their Sports Club, there was fused into Indian sports
potential. Tata Sports Club supplemented such something new, something which opened out a
backing by putting together squads that went vast field for the enrichment of sporting talent in
on to dominate their respective sports on the this country… Today, go where you will in India,
national stage. when you say Tata, you also say sport.” ¨

COVER STORY
Among the galaxy of stars who turned out for the Tata Sports Club cricket team during its halcyon days were
(from left) former India captain Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri — currently coaching Virat Kohli and his men in
blue — and Milind Rege, seen here with Sunil Gavaskar in 1970; (below) Sunil Gavaskar presenting his India
cap to JRD Tata before a match at the Wankhede Stadium in Bombay to celebrate the club’s golden jubilee in 1987.

COVER STORY
(Clockwise from above) Goalkeeper

Leo Pinto, who helped India win gold
in the 1948 London Olympics, was one
of the many big names who turned
out for a dominant Tata Sports Club
hockey team; midfielder Surendra
Kumar played with distinction for the
club’s football team at a time when
it won honours galore; the elegant
middle-distance runner Edward
Sequeira lorded it over the 800m
and 1,500m races in India from
1963 to 1973, setting records and
representing the country in the Asiad,
the Commonwealth Games and the
1972 Munich Olympics; Bahadur Singh
topped in the throwing events at the
national level for many years and won a
medal at the Asian Games.

COVER STORY

COVER STORY
PARTNERS IN GAMES: Dorab Tata (above),

who succeeded his father, Jamsetji Tata, at the
helm of the Tata group, poses with his wife,
Meherbai Tata, in this 1917 photograph. Dorab
Tata discovered his love for sports during his
time as a student in England. At Cambridge, he
distinguished himself at cricket and football,
played tennis for his college, became an expert
rower and won several sprint events. Later
in life, he became a patron and supporter of
the Indian Olympic Association. India owed,
to a large extent, its participation in the 1920
Antwerp Olympics to Dorab Tata, who also
financed the Indian contingent that went to the
Paris Olympiad of 1924. Seen here (left) with
some of her tennis trophies, Meherbai Tata won
tournaments held in Bombay and other places
and remained a fan of the sport all her life.

COVER STORY
TOP-DOWN BACKING: Tata group Founder Jamsetji Tata (seated at the centre in picture above) with the
Kathiawar cricket team in this image from 1898. Ratan Tata (below, seated second from right), the younger son
of Jamsetji Tata, at the Cumballa Hill Tennis Club in Bombay circa 1903. It was Jamsetji Tata’s belief in sports as a
force for good that seeded the Tata culture of supporting different games and the athletes who excelled in them.

COVER STORY
FLYING THE FLAG: JRD Tata

(clockwise from above) taking to two
wheels for a ‘slow cycling’ event in
Jamshedpur in 1957; playing golf
in Bombay; and exchanging notes
with Randhir Singh Gentle, the hockey
legend who was an integral part
of the Indian team that won three
consecutive Olympic gold medals, in
London in 1948, in Helsinki in 1952
and in Melbourne in 1956, when he
captained the squad. Gentle was one
of numerous outstanding sportsmen
who were members of Tata Sports
Club, which had JRD Tata as president
for more than 40 years. Naturally
inclined towards sports — he was
more than familiar, as a participant,
with football, aquatics and
weightlifting — JRD Tata did much
for sports at Tata and in India.

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HOCKEY FIRST: Naval Tata (clockwise from left) getting a victory arch in his honour from members of the
Tata Sports Club hockey team in Nairobi in Kenya; watching a match in Bombay in the 1950s with, among others,
Indian Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru (front right) and JRD Tata (middle centre); and at a football tournament
in Jamshedpur. A multifaceted Tata leader, Naval Tata proved his mettle as a sports administrator during an
outstanding stint as president of the Indian Hockey Federation from 1946 to 1961, the glory years for India in the
game, particularly at the Olympics. He was the first president of the All India Council for Sports and also served as
vice chairman of the International Hockey Federation, the game’s governing body, for more than a decade.
Images courtesy: Tata Central Archives

IN CONVERSATION
‘Kalinganagar has been

a remarkable story’
Thachat Viswanath Narendran’s What does becoming Tata Steel’s
recent appointment as Tata Steel’s first global chief executive and
managing director mean to you,
first global chief executive and personally and professionally?
managing director is the pinnacle First and foremost, it’s a great honour. When
accomplishment of a career with the I joined Tata Steel 29 years ago, I didn’t
really think so far ahead. This is more than
company that began nearly three a company; it’s an institution. To have the
decades back. The timing of the opportunity to lead such an enterprise in India
recognition appears just right, with and South East Asia for the last four years was a
privilege. To head it globally is an even greater
Tata Steel looking to make the most privilege. I’m looking forward to working
of the positives in the global steel with a wider cross section of people and doing
industry. whatever I can to take Tata Steel forward.
Mr Narendran, a mechanical Business has been looking up for

engineer by training, speaks here to Tata Steel. Is this the beginning of
a strong run by the company?
Christabelle Noronha about Tata Steel
The steel business is cyclical. In 2015, when
and its performance and prospects, China slowed down a bit, steel exports from
his elevation to the top post, and the country jumped from about 5 to 10 million
about the Kalinganagar facility. tonnes a month. Even though India is the
world’s third-largest producer of steel, it does
Excerpts from the interview:
not produce 10 million tonnes a month. The

IN CONVERSATION
China factor had an enormous impact on the natural extension of what has been the trend.
global steel trade and prices fell by up to 50%. It puts us in a much stronger position than we
Even in those difficult times, Tata Steel was would have been individually, and it allows
one of the few global steel businesses to make us more opportunities to optimise our supply
a profit. The situation today is much better, chain and become a formidable competitor.
with steel prices climbing back to pre-2015 With world-class facilities, an excellent
levels. The recovery has helped us enhance product mix and the technology focus we
efficiency, manage costs, improve the product have, we will become the second-biggest
mix and build new businesses. player in Europe.
The forecast for the steel industry
suggests the worst is behind us. Not just The ‘One Tata’ concept has been
China, but many other economies where steel getting plenty of attention in the
consumption was shrinking — the United group lately. How do you see this
States, Russia and Brazil among them — are collaborative process working out
all recovering; even Europe is gradually in the Tata Steel context?
returning to where it was in 2008. Tata Steel It’s a powerful thought. We at Tata Steel
will continue to do better in the next few years are already collaborating with some group
if the projected demand growth happens. companies, but the Chairman’s expectation is
that we take this to another level and go beyond
The merger of Tata Steel’s what we have done. For instance, we have been
European operations with tapping the distribution network of Tata Global
ThyssenKrupp is seen as a Beverages in rural Uttar Pradesh (in India) to
breakthrough in a journey that market our roofing sheets. We are also working
began with the Corus acquisition. with Rallis, which has a fantastic relationship
What are the immediate and long- with farmers, to whom we sell our products for
term benefits in this for Tata Steel? fencing, roofs, agricultural implements, etc.
We have gone through a lot of pain in Europe These are two examples of synergy
over the last two-three years. The restructuring between Tata companies, but I think there are
there has continued relentlessly and several untapped opportunities. For instance,
production has been whittled down at our sites Tata Steel deals with the house builder. We
in Britain and the Netherlands. We don’t have sell steel to them through our Tiscon brand,
the comfort in Europe, as we do in India, of but can we get a better share of their related
having our own raw materials. The challenges expenditure? Can we extend the relationship
there are different. to include Voltas and its air conditioners or
Different strategies need to be applied Trent and its home products?
to different markets. In a market like India, ‘One Tata’ is a concept on which we need
where steel consumption is growing at 5-6% to work collectively as well as individually to
and with huge infrastructure development in maximise the strength of the group. A formal
the pipeline, the growth engine must be used structure can certainly bring in a holistic
to not only protect your market position but perspective, resulting in better and greater
also to drive cost efficiencies. Europe, on the synergies among group companies.
other hand, is a mature market where 1-2%
growth is considered good. In such a market, A rationalisation of the Tata Steel
consolidation is one way to make the business portfolio of subsidiaries and
structurally stronger. associate companies has been
ArcelorMittal and Corus were created spoken about. What is likely to
through consolidation. The coming together happen on this count?
of Tata Steel Europe and ThyssenKrupp is a Portfolio rationalisation at Tata Steel has

IN CONVERSATION
happened in the past as well, but we are looking Fundamentally, India has been a consumption-
at it more sharply now. We are evaluating our led economy with underinvestment in
subsidiaries and reviewing our portfolio to the infrastructure sector. It’s only recently
ascertain the strategic logic to invest. Where is that there has been focus on investment in
it that we can scale up tangibly and where is it infrastructure. This is a boon for the industry
that we are present only for historical or legacy because infrastructure is steel-intensive.
reasons? Which companies can be merged However, the fact that most of the investment
with one another or with Tata Steel? There are is by government and not private enterprise is a
multiple frames to be looked at. matter of concern. If the Indian economy does
In the 1990s, Tata Steel in India had seven well, capital expenditure by the private sector is
subsidiaries; today it has 35. There definitely inevitable. Meanwhile, government spending is
is scope to rationalise and optimise. We have essential if you want the economy to get better.
exited from businesses in the past, but we will
do it with a sharper focus and greater urgency Everybody seems to have an opinion
now so that we can simplify our structure and on the Indian economy and its
make it more impactful. prospects in the coming months
and years. What’s your take on this,
The Kalinganagar facility has and how has the introduction of GST
begun to pay off in spades for changed the equation for Tata Steel?
Tata Steel. How will the proposed I’m always optimistic about India and I believe
capacity expansion at the plant 5-7% annual growth is on the cards. I don’t
help Tata Steel? think the economy is ready to grow at 7-9%;
Kalinganagar started under difficult there are too many bottlenecks because the
circumstances a decade ago, but the team there utilisation of infrastructure has outpaced our
has done outstanding work with the greenfield ability to create it. Every airport in India, for
project. It wasn’t easy, considering we have had instance, is congested. Similarly, despite the
violence on the site, people were threatened construction of more roads we have to put
and mobs had taken over parts of the facility. up with chock-a-block traffic. Infrastructure
It’s much more peaceful now than what all of us expenditure must rise if India is to progress.
had got used to seeing. Demonetisation and GST have
Kalinganagar has been a remarkable encouraged a shift from the informal to the
story for Tata Steel. Within a year of its formal economy, and Tata Steel has always
commissioning, we were at almost full capacity been in the formal sector. Across the board,
utilisation, and now we have just had our things are looking up. Several sectors, among
board approve a `230-billion expansion at them automotive, construction and electrical
the facility (from 3 to 8 million tonnes per equipment, are showing positive signs. Steel
annum). This is a 3,000-acre site; the more you consumption is an indicator of how the
build and expand, the more you can defray economy is faring.
expenses and share the fixed cost to improve
competitiveness. Kalinganagar is soon going to Tata Steel has been striving to
be more cost-efficient than Jamshedpur, one of extract more out of the retail and
the lowest-cost producers of steel in the world. small- and medium-sized business
categories. What sort of success
Government spending, rather than have you found in these segments?
private investments, is what’s The B2C (or business-to-consumer) segment
sustaining the steel industry in is one of our pioneering initiatives over the
India now. Why is that, and what’s last 15 years. Some of our biggest brands are in
the upshot here for Tata Steel? this segment and we now want to take this to

IN CONVERSATION
“The more you build and expand

[in Kalinganagar], the more you can
defray expenses and share the fixed
cost to improve competitiveness.
Kalinganagar is soon going
to be more cost-efficient than
Jamshedpur, one of the lowest-cost
producers of steel in the world.”
another level by developing new products and smart city solutions like bus stands, garbage
solutions that cater to consumer conveniences. bins and solar panels. Services and solutions
Nearly 5% of the money a house builder comprise 2% of our business as of now and we
spends is on exteriors, where we have had want to take this to 20%; B2C is 20% and we
immense success with Tata Tiscon. We can want to make this 30%.
leverage this relationship further by selling
doors and windows that look like wood but You have been quoted as saying,
are made of steel. We also see an opportunity “Mining is a tough business. I
to sell modular furniture and have started a spend 60-70% of my time on
side range in this business, and we have in the mining issues.” Is it worth the
pipeline products such as gates and grills. The effort, for Tata Steel and for you?
5% spend can be increased to 20-25% through Yes, it’s a significant part of the value that we
these offerings. create. We always look at Tata Steel as a steel
The small businesses initiative started company, but it’s also one of the largest mining
about five years back. Although the market companies in India and we have been mining
was sluggish initially, we realised at the time for almost 100 years. That said, mining attracts
that the consumer goods segment accounted a lot of regulatory oversight, with polices being
for 50-60% of steel consumption. This typically created constantly at the centre and in the
happened through smaller companies and states. This can be cumbersome but mining
factories that never dealt with us directly but has brought us a lot of value; it’s one reason we
only through traders, who gave them what have remained competitive for so long.
they had rather than what they wanted. We The challenge is going to be post-2030,
saw a huge opportunity and decided to build a when the mines will be put up for auction.
distribution network in this segment. We will have to bid for them at that point,
which means the cost of holding a lease will
Will there be more retail outlets? increase. Tata Steel must be future ready for
We have a network of 10,000 dealers spread an era where we will be paying more for raw
across almost the entire country. However, materials than we traditionally have. The focus
as volumes grow we will need to spread on driving cost-efficiencies at Tata Steel is to
our distribution network. Our Pravesh see how margins can be maintained even if raw
doors [steel doors with a wooden finish] is materials are procured at market prices. The
a `500-billion business today and we are mining business does take a lot of my time, but
booking 10,000 doors a month. We also have it is totally worth it. ¨

IN CONVERSATION
‘We will take

one step at
a time’
“Keep it simple, be profitable and stay
relevant.” That’s the wisdom Puneet
Chhatwal has gleaned over the course
of an exceptional career stretching
nearly three-and-a-half decades in
the hospitality industry. And that’s
the basis of the business philosophy
that will guide the newly appointed
managing director and chief executive
of Indian Hotels Company.
A global professional who has
been in leadership positions with hotel
groups in Europe and North America,
Mr Chhatwal headed Steigenberger
Hotels, which is part of the Deutsche
Hospitality group, prior to his
appointment at Indian Hotels. In this
interview with Christabelle Noronha,
the Delhi native explains his priorities
with the challenging responsibility of
taking what is better known as the Taj
Group to higher ground. Excerpts:
What’s your first impression of

Indian Hotels?
Right from when I started my career 34 years
back, Indian Hotels was a prominent name in
the industry. Our intent is to preserve the core
of what the company is all about and ensure
stability in progress. The core is what we have
today and we can progress by taking Indian

IN CONVERSATION
Hotels to the next level. You keep doing what the Indian form of hospitality to welcome
you’ve been doing well, but you stop or tweak our guests. Tajness is also about our efforts
what has not worked well. We — by which I in the community, the values we stand for,
mean our 30-member leadership team — are and the way we treat all our stakeholders. It is
not in favour of reinventing the enterprise. ingrained in the design of some of our assets
and it is the reason why we stand apart as a
How different will heading Indian company. I believe the Tajness aspect has been
Hotels be from your experience underutilised over the last few decades. With
at Steigenberger Hotels? Has the competition getting stiffer, there’s even more
transition been smooth? reason to communicate further about Tajness
I feel that to succeed internationally in any to create a key differentiator between us and
business, you need a blend of three things: an others in the industry.
American style of marketing, the European We will soon be announcing some
way of management and the Asian emotional systematic programmes centred on Tajness,
intelligence. For me, it’s not a transition but especially in employee engagement, to
an opportunity to blend the American and attract more customers and achieve higher
European styles with Indian hospitality. profitability. We want to create an employee
magazine that celebrates the success stories of
It has been stated that you have our people and motivates them to contribute
been appointed as chief executive their best to the organisation. Engaged
to ‘drive performance and oversee employees provide better customer service
the next phase of expansion’ at and customer care. A high level of customer
Indian Hotels. What will this entail? engagement creates return rates in all phases
I think the role of any chief executive is of the customer journey.
to grow the company at all levels. In the We have redefined Tajness as trust,
hospitality context, it is not just adding dots on awareness and joy and we will have a logo for
the map but growing the organisation in terms it. ‘T’ stands for trust, of our guests, associates
of business intelligence, digitalisation, process and all other stakeholders. ‘A’ is about
improvements and so forth. awareness of what is happening around us and
The other point is that we have not been what we need to do as responsible members
a profitable company for many years. We want of Indian Hotels. To do something effectively,
Indian Hotels to be the most iconic hospitality we must enjoy what we do; we must do it
company in the subcontinent and a profitable joyfully, and ‘J’ stands for that. Above the ‘J’ is
one too, with the highest market cap among a hexagon, which is part of the logo and will
those considered our peers. We want to define our core values.
achieve all of this while adhering to the Tata
code of values and ethics. Debt has been an albatross around
Indian Hotels’ neck for a long time
Indian Hotels has been pushing the now. How much of a drag is this on
‘Tajness’ envelope to accentuate the company and are there plans to
its uniqueness, while bringing reduce the burden?
together its luxury, business and We are committed to reducing our debt.
leisure properties under the Taj Towards this, we want to strike the right
brand. Will the trend continue and, balance between the asset-heavy and asset-
if so, in what form? light approach, which we call the ‘SMART’
Tajness is not something new. Tajness is our way of working. ‘S’ stands for strategic; we
soul and it has several elements to it. It is the will invest in strategic projects that are brand
way we work; it is the way we have inculcated enhancing. As a natural corollary, strategic

IN CONVERSATION
would lead to ‘M’, which is margin enhancing. the New Year’s message of our Chairman
Our margins are very low today; we should be Natarajan Chandrasekaran.
able to improve these around the principles of
asset management, which is ‘A’. ‘R’ stands for Has the hospitality industry found a
strong, lasting and sustainable relationships. way to stop the bleeding it suffers
To do these four, we need to have continuous due to travel aggregators? What’s
tracking — represented by ‘T’ — of our your view on how to turn the tide?
relationships, acquisitions and decisions. I will answer this question in two parts. Firstly,
the hospitality industry, in general, has not
Ginger has been an up-and-down been able to find an answer to this issue. In
story for Indian Hotels. What’s the fact, online travel agencies (OTAs) charge
thinking here? significantly to provide business, but travel
We have a huge opportunity with Ginger agents were around even at the time when
since margins at this level of business are high I entered this industry. Travel agents who
because the fixed costs are low and the variable bring in business, like American Express or
costs can be managed. We want to reposition Carlson Wagonlit Travel, not only received
Ginger in the mid-scale segment, with or long commission but also an overriding
without food and beverages, and have within commission; they were big sources of revenue.
each, a small meeting venue, a banquet hall The difference is that today this is offered in
and one restaurant that is done up tastefully. digitalised OTA form.
Customers don’t care what the room size The other facet is about reach. Companies
is in the value segment, and they don’t want that want to put up their first hotel in New
to pay for a banquet hall if they are not using York, London, Frankfurt or Zurich can work
it. However, a key expectation is a seamless with these OTAs without building their
broadband experience and we are working own structure. They can create what would
towards providing that in all Ginger hotels. technically be called a volume establishment.
We need to make Ginger a bit more fun, Hence, working with travel aggregators
by playing with colours, style of furniture, means having a much better range and more
lighting, etc, and by having WiFi connectivity. opportunity to grow. There has been a margin
erosion due to OTAs, no doubt, but entry into
What do you think went wrong with new markets has also led to margin expansion.
the Ginger move? All in all, I see OTAs as an opportunity.
It would be inappropriate for me to comment,
but I think we have a big opportunity to win Do you see models such as Airbnb
if we are more inclusive than excluding. The making greater inroads in the
idea to keep Ginger as a separate entity was business sectors where Indian
right because it did not have high overhead Hotels is present? How much of
costs; it should have been able to stand on its a threat do these entities pose to
feet and remain agile. In practice, however, I traditional hospitality players?
think what we ignored is the strength of the The answer is both yes and no. While Airbnb
people and the structure that Taj brings to the is not a direct threat, they have been able
table. If we could marry the two efficiently, by to capture what I would call latent demand,
combining certain functions like development where people want affordable pricing during
and acquisition, then there is one unit doing vacations but don’t want to stay at traditional
key account management for different hotels. I can give an example of my two
segments, Taj, Vivanta and Ginger. I think children, both working in London. When they
these are places where we can synergise and first moved to the city, the best rates I could
simplify; that would be in alignment with get through my connections were higher than

IN CONVERSATION
It all adds up for Indian Hotels

61 Present in Brands
1903 98 locations
across the
India, USA, UK, Africa, Middle East, Taj Hotels Palaces and Resorts,
Established Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Vivanta by Taj, The Gateway
hotels
globe Bhutan and Nepal Hotels, Taj Safaris, Ginger Hotels
the apartment they could share on Airbnb. The other is to protect and grow the Taj
Do we want to compete with Airbnb? legacy of over 100 years.
The answer is a clear no. I wish the hotel
industry in general had embraced the Airbnb What’s your perspective on the
model instead of allowing somebody else to ‘One Tata’ idea, where collaboration
come into that space. It could have been an among Tata companies is being
opportunity for the industry to diversify, and given primacy? How can Indian
that has been missed. Hotels make this idea work to its
own benefit and that of the group?
How important is the food and By leveraging the ‘One Tata’ concept, we can
beverages component to the overall do several things together. Alongside the ‘Taj
well-being of Indian Hotels? Is a Khazana’, a chain of luxury lifestyle stores in
rethink happening on factors like select Taj hotels, we can have Titan, Tanishq
pricing, cuisine and ambience? and other Tata brands share space in some of
Food and beverages (F&B) is a very important our iconic properties. Group companies can
part of the hospitality industry, especially in the share knowledge, resources and technological
Indian subcontinent. Besides, in Asia we can inputs for the greater good of the group. For
still make good margins on F&B in comparison instance, to drive digitalisation and innovation
with Europe or the United States, where this in our properties, we could use Tata
gets outsourced to specialised operators. The Consultancy Services rather than an outside
hotels mostly do breakfast themselves while company. Not that we haven’t been working
their restaurants are largely being shut down. together with different Tata companies, but
In our luxury segment, F&B sometimes now it’s about doing this more earnestly and
pulls in more than 50% of the revenue. taking it to the next level.
Besides, we have been innovators in F&B, with We are celebrating 150 years of the Tata
exquisite dining places like Karavalli at the group this year. If each Tata company comes
Gateway in Bengaluru, House of Ming at the up with one idea and if a third of those ideas
Taj Mansingh in Delhi and Thai Pavilion at are executed successfully, then through
Vivanta by Taj President in Mumbai. We need synergy and collaboration we have 30-50 new
to unlock the full potential of these brands. ideas, which would be a great opportunity for
the Tata group in this special year.
What are the long-term challenges
confronting Indian Hotels as a What are the critical lessons you
business and you as the person have learned about the hospitality
heading it? business from your long years in
One of the main challenges is how to keep the industry?
driving margins in a people-intensive I would say only three things: keep it simple,
business where these margins are declining. be profitable and stay relevant. ¨

GUEST INTERVIEW
‘Imagine what the world

will look like in 2028’
It took a tooth extraction in 1990 Cape Town office, Mr Musgrave talks
for Anton Musgrave to stumble to Vikas Kumar about his work as a
upon his current role as a futurist. futurist and how today’s business
Browsing through an article in a leaders need to adapt to a dynamic
science magazine at the dental reality to build businesses that
clinic, he was both amazed and endure and thrive into the future.
scared by a new idea called the
What is your work as a futurist
internet, and its limitless possibilities.
all about and how much of that
That curiosity led to a consulting has changed or evolved in recent
project with IBM, an unusual switch times?
My role is to get senior executives to
from commercial law to property
think differently about the future. It is to
management, and subsequently to engage them in challenging, provocative
heading a new-age financial services and inspiring conversations to explore the
possibilities the future holds, and most
company. As part of the core team
importantly, the choices executives make
at FutureWorld International, he now about that future.
helps companies craft their future The world of business has become
so short-term focused that executives
strategy based on possible ‘action
are consumed by short-term operational
scenarios’ that their senior leadership challenges and short-term success
teams envision. Speaking from his deliverables. I hope to raise their perspectives

GUEST INTERVIEW
about what’s coming over the horizon. It’s that a client or the company or the leadership
not about predicting what’s coming, it’s about team deeply — both intellectually and
understanding what’s happening around us, emotionally — embrace whatever the future
and what future could these events create. they want, for themselves, businesses, their
It could range from technology to staff and clients. The emotional bit is actually
geopolitical, social and marketplace shifts more important. The intellectual justification
to business model changes; all of these comes later. The emotional connection
come together and paint a series of pictures with what’s possible is what fires up human
about the future. My job is to get executives ingenuity, innovation and entrepreneurship.
to engage in that conversation, which has When the dream is exciting, you find ways to
nothing to do with what I call the business of execute it.
today, but everything to do with the business Scenario planning is the easy piece. You
of tomorrow. can delegate that and a research team will
produce a set of scenarios. That’s not very
How do you get executives to blend useful. What’s really useful is when senior
a lifetime of experience into a executives in an organisation understand
vision of the future? what the drivers of the different scenarios are,
The way I challenge leaders to grapple create it themselves and then interpret the
with the future is to ask them to suspend same. It’s not just a document they read.
the present and all of their experience, That’s why the success rate of consultants
for a moment. And let’s fast forward the in big strategy projects is so poor. No one
conversation to 10 years from now, to 2028. really believes in the new strategy. No one
And let’s just imagine what that world might really dreams it. No one desperately wants it.
look like. They get this 150-page report, and it’s all full
You have to frame a set of possible future of Excel justification and pie-charts. But tell
scenarios and you have to make choices me, where is the dream and why would I, as
based on those possibilities. You must create a 55-year-old senior executive five years away
‘optionality’ for your future. What you want to from pension, take the risks? Unless you’ve
do is build a business which capitalises on the inspired me and unless you’ve excited me,
short-term opportunities in the marketplace why would I go and do these crazy things that
because that’s important — success next may or may not work. So, without creating the
quarter and in the next year are both critically emotional buy-in and emotional aspiration,
important. But you also want to be flexible most of the strategy remains academic.
and agile enough to make moves ahead of the
competition, to create a new industry ahead What does this mean for business
of the game. So it’s about learning to run the leadership and how is it evolving?
business of today in a way that is less about This is one of the things I’m most passionate
competition and more about a robust and about. We are now entering an era of ‘naked
sustainable business model in a world that’s leadership’. This is a notion of a leader
changing very rapidly. operating in a kind of fishbowl situation, where
the whole world observes everything about you
How does all this work differently in real-time. It’s not like the environment of the
from older methods of, say, past where you could do things secretly, where
scenario planning or what other the world wouldn’t know or understand, and
management consultants do? where you could be arrogant and authoritarian.
One of the main features of consultants is that We now have an ecosystem where society is
they tell their clients what to do. And that’s deeply connected and engaged. That requires
one thing I promise never to do. It’s important leaders to behave differently.

GUEST INTERVIEW
Look at Volkswagen and their diesel outcry for him to finally realise that he could
scandal, where they tried to hide their no longer behave in the same authoritarian
manipulation from the world and were found way and he needed to connect with society,
out. If you go back a few years to BP and be humble and vulnerable, and apologise.
their Deepwater Horizon oil spill, initially In contrast, take Indra Nooyi who
they tried to lie to the world about what was recently faced flak for an advertisement
actually happening underwater. But the truth for Pepsi that went completely wrong. She
emerged and it cost them billions in damages immediately apologised and said, “I’m deeply
as opposed to a few hundred million to fix the sorry. We had no intention to offend and we
problem. In the process, their legitimacy, the will cancel the advert immediately.” Because
brand and the planet, all suffered. she was human, vulnerable and exposed, she
When United Airlines dragged a connected with the world immediately and
passenger from the plane, for the first 48 won their support rather than lose it. Those
hours the CEO said to the world, “but my are some examples of how leadership
staff followed the process”. That’s an arrogant, is changing.
hierarchical, top-down response to a real Business today is all about networks and
problem, and it was a deep cultural issue ecosystems. That requires leaders to think
at the company. It took 48 hours of public differently; it’s about how you align your
interests with multiple players in the system,
all interconnected, all observing transparently
what’s going on. That’s a very different context
for leadership than a linear, power-dominated
supply chain.
And if I were to get even more
philosophical and fast forward to 20 or
30 years from now, will the construct of a
company as we know it even exist? And if you
then start thinking what could replace it, and
how would that work, then you start having
very interesting leadership discussions.
What about the new crop of

leaders, people who are setting up
new-age businesses today? Do you
see them ready with the skills and
understanding that you talk about?
In many ways, I think they are better prepared
than we are. They understand the tools
available to them. They are not bound by
constraints and there’s nothing too scary or
too big to tackle. And they are not concerned
by the things they may not know because
There is a very real risk that we will lose they’ll just find a way of solving them through
control over the future of our species. their networks and connections. However,
they are naive about the realities of our
Artificial intelligence is developing at a
world. So, the question is how to blend their
startling pace; it’s both exciting and scary. unbridled, unlimited potential with the harsh
realities of the actual world we live in, good or

GUEST INTERVIEW
bad. We don’t take them seriously enough and

we don’t listen to them deeply enough. That’s
something the current leadership of the world Three days to redo the future
has to embrace.
Anton Musgrave has a three-day process for
You have often spoken about a unleashing creative futures. Day One is about
future dominated by data streams, executives racking their brains and challenging
AI and connected-ness, where their core assumptions about themselves, society,
wearable devices and implants are their business, customers and clients; in short,
ubiquitous. Where does that leave getting their brain rewired. On Day Two,
the human mind, its imagination Mr Musgrave gets the leadership team to imagine
and people interactions? that the organisation has been vapourised, to
There is a very real risk that we will lose assume that the company has ceased to exist,
control over the future of our species. AI and the only thing left is a cheque representing the
is developing at a startling pace; it’s both current valuation. He then asks the leaders what
exciting and scary. I think that it’s better to kind of future-relevant business they would like to
let the machines do the labourious, tedious, recreate. Would they rebuild the business in the
non-fulfilling work and enable humans to same way, or would they build something different?
become better humans, whatever that means. This process forces executives to think of a future
The debate then shifts to how those humans world that is different, better and more exciting. Day
will live and what they will do. The potential Three is about finding creative ways to overcome
exists for us to reinvent ourselves. In fact, all the challenges. There are no constraints and
the relevance of humans in the future will the executives unleash their creative thinking to
depend upon our human-ness, not on our discover the steps to build the ideal future.
ability to beat the machines. We won’t win
that race.
We should start at school level. Stop for the group and on critical decision
teaching children to remember and stop guidelines that will inform and direct the
rewarding them with high grades if they strategic and operating decisions of the
remember things. Reward them if they can various subsidiaries.
ask really difficult questions, if they are In addition, the group has to be very
curious, if they can connect the dots in a set of purposeful about creating rapid agility as a
facts, and seek out connections and patterns. core feature. This will enable rapid response
to future market variables without the
For a conglomerate as massive, typical ‘slowness’ of a large multinational
diverse and globally distributed as and diversified group. The leaders have to
the Tata group, mapping the future be ruthless about building decision-making
can be a daunting and complex structures for speed.
exercise. What would your advice The benefit of a large group is the ability
be to make it work in this context? to fund R&D and to create shared learning
I think it’s crucial for Tata’s senior leaders platforms. The group structure could be
to have aligned views on the major forces more of an ecosystem than a hierarchy,
shaping the world of tomorrow, the future driving collaboration and innovation rather
of humanity and of specific industries. This than preserving hierarchies and power
journey will lead to insights on the drivers of structures. Ultimately, the Tatas need to have
future success and market relevance, even in compelling answers to the question: “What
a profoundly changing world. Senior leaders will the world miss if Tata as a group were to
have to agree on a master ‘sense of purpose’ cease to exist?” ¨

BUSINESS
A Tetley store in
Victorian Great Britain
Brewing strong at a
hundred and eightea
Vintage has played a part in Tetley’s blending of Tetley-Jones. Soon, Tetley installed
the famous ‘Grey Ladies’, its tea bag
taste, quality and innovation to find flavour and machines known for stitching 40 tea
favour with consumers around the world bags a minute.
The tea bag culture gained
T
etley has a richly brewed A decade later, Edward exited popularity in Britain, with Tetley
heritage — all of 180 years old the business to launch a brewery introducing the round tea bag that
and counting. Some 45 million business and Joseph renamed the fit perfectly into a mug. Overseas,
cups of Tetley tea are consumed company ‘Joseph Tetley & Company, Tetley’s dripless draw-string tea bags
globally every single day, making it Wholesale Tea Dealers’. In 1871, began winning over customers in
the world’s second-largest tea brand. after Joseph’s son Joseph Tetley Australia and other countries.
Old clearly is gold in this instance. Junior joined the enterprise, Tetley Acquired by Tata in 2000 and
Tetley was established in 1837 diversified into the blending and now part of Tata Global Beverages,
by two brothers, Joseph and Edward packing of tea and established its Tetley has a presence in more
Tetley from Yorkshire in England. presence in America by partnering than 40 countries. It has become
Originally salt merchants, they with Wright & Graham, a New York- synonymous with innovation,
ventured into selling tea and set up based distribution company. foraying into fruit and herbal
‘Joseph Tetley & Co’. The brothers Under the son’s stewardship, infusions, green teas and speciality
soon expanded the business, moving the company launched its first tea teas. Tetley surely has aged well, and
to London, then the hub of the bag in America. In 1939, the tea bag stayed forever young at heart. ¨
global tea trade, and setting up at was brought to Britain from America
Cullum Street. by Tetley’s British representative, TI — Farah Dada

BUSINESS
A tasty timeline
1837 Tetley is established by brothers Joseph and Edward Tetley
in Yorkshire, England
1939 The company brings the tea bag to Great Britain from America
1940 The first Tetley tea bag machines, known as the ‘Grey Ladies’,
stitch 40 tea bags a minute
1970 The ‘Tetley Tea Folk’ concept makes an appearance in the

brand’s advertising
1989 The ‘round’ tea bag, the result of five years of development work,
is introduced
1998 The beginning of a five-year period during which a range of new

teas are launched, as well as fruit and herbal infusions
2006 Flavoured tea bags are introduced in India, a market where Tetley
has since created new formats and segments
2008 Tetley’s green tea comes to India, where the brand remains
the top green tea seller
2010 Commits to the Rainforest Alliance certification; Tetley Tea Folk reintroduced
2011 Launches the ‘farmers first hand’ collaboration with the
Rainforest Alliance
2012 The innovative ‘Tetley Blend of Both’, a combination of tastes,

is introduced
2015 Tetley’s ‘super green tea’, a vitamin-enhanced innovation, comes

to the market
2017 Tetley Indulgence, a black tea-based premium product, is launched

BUSINESS

BUSINESS
1. A scene from a tea-tasting room in 1837

2. The Tetley tea factory more than a century ago
3. Tea bags, introduced in England in 1939, soon became popular
4. A testimonial to the convenience of the tea bag
5. The Joseph Tetley & Co stall in the early 1900s

BUSINESS
Parents exploring the TCS mTop application during an orientation session
Digital treats deliver

multiple delights
Tata Consultancy Services and Tata ClassEdge and Tata ClassEdge have worked on
together: to reimagine the school as
are helping transform five educational institutions a place where students go beyond
with solutions sourced from the digital wellspring textbooks, where technology is
a tool that enhances learning
H
e who opens a school, come together for while pooling outcomes, and where the teaching is
closes a prison,” said writer their collective resources in an relevant to the career aspirations of
Victor Hugo, highlighting initiative aimed at transforming those being taught.
the potential of schools to make five educational institutions in The transformation journey
a lasting difference in the lives of Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. began when a five-member TCS
children. Given the truth of Hugo’s Standing to benefit are Global team, led by Hasit Kaji, head,
words, efforts directed at equipping Mission School, Global Mission special initiatives, and Venguswamy
schools to perform more effectively International School, Laxman Ramaswamy, global head, TCS iON,
and enhancing the overall quality Gyanpith School, Shishu Mandir visited the schools in April 2017.
of education can only be to the and Anant University, all of which They met the Sanskardham trustees,
advantage of those who matter most, are run by the Sanskardham Trust. teachers, parents and students, and
the students. These four schools and one sought to understand the philosophy
The advantage factor in the college employ a unique pedagogy and work practices of the schools,
manner of teaching these students that emphasises the all-round the challenges they faced and the
is what Tata Consultancy Services development of students. The opportunities for improvement.
(TCS) and Tata ClassEdge have teaching here is born of the idea TCS Their intent was to secure positive

BUSINESS
results through a set of solutions and campus administration. on-demand access to information
that eschewed the superficial and Building the capacities of for all stakeholders.” Thanks to
embraced tangible transformation. teachers. the initiative, the report cards of
“The foundation of the Reimagining the pedagogy and students taking the latest exams
Sanskardham Trust’s activities rests curriculum to include 21st- were issued by the system and made
on building future leaders for the century skills. available for online viewing in just
country,” says Mr Kaji. “Accordingly, “We spent quality time with one week. Earlier, this task was done
the pedagogy employed by the all the stakeholders and built strong manually and would take up to four
schools places greater emphasis relationships with them,” says Amit weeks to be completed. Additionally,
on the inculcation of values and Rai, who leads the transformation admissions have gone online for the
on extracurricular activities.” That effort from within the Sanskardham first time.
was fine but there was a shortfall: campus. “These interactions helped It was necessary to facilitate
the schools lacked the ability to us understand the schools’ priorities, smooth communication between
fully exploit the power of digital goals and challenges.” parents, teachers and the
technology to suit their needs. Accordingly, the team institutions. Help on this front has
created a set of transformational come from iON mTop app, a single
THE SCALE IS BIG initiatives and chalked out detailed platform for accessing information
With more than 3,400 students to implementation plans. Care was on attendance, fees and hostel
influence and improve, the scale taken to ensure that the new plans charges, issuing of timetable and
of the opportunity to engineer did not disrupt the academic report cards, school activities,
massive transformation was calendar, so as to enable a smooth transport and library management.
immense. “Any transformation transition and participation by all The app, which also allows
starts with recognising your inner stakeholders. communication from teachers to
strengths,” says Mr Ramaswamy. TCS put in place the core parents, has reduced the workload
“Sanskardham’s strength is the belief infrastructure through which the of administrative staff and fostered
of the leadership team that it can digital initiatives will be launched. better communication.
produce leaders who are responsible, This infrastructure serves as the
passionate, skilled and confident. backbone for the digitisation of APPEALING LEARNING
We are enabling the transformation processes and the learning content. The interactions the team had with
through this strength.” The TCS iON Campus teachers revealed that they were
Adds Mr Kaji: “We identified Management Solution was one of keen on augmenting their skills.
several initiatives that would help the first implementations to come They wanted to learn new teaching
the schools be digitally ready for to fruition. “Our solution integrates techniques and have access to best-
the 21st century. They included the entire set of academic and in-class digital content that they
the introduction of new teaching administrative processes under could use to make learning more
techniques for experiential learning, one platform,” says Mahadevan appealing to students.
ensuring collaboration between Venkatakrishnan, a key member It was at this point that TCS
teachers within and outside the of iON and the transformation invited Tata ClassEdge to reinforce
institutions, enabling greater team. “In doing so, it simplifies the Tata value proposition with
efficiencies in everyday operations processes, digitises data and enables its offerings. Says Mr Kaji: “We
and enhancing the visibility of the
school to external stakeholders.” “We felt it was important to equip teachers
The Sanskardham excellence
with better content and teaching methods,
framework, as defined by the TCS
which would lead to an improvement in the
team, rested on:
Improving the technology students’ ability to learn.”
infrastructure and using it Hasit Kaji, head, special initiatives, TCS
extensively in teaching, learning

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felt it was important to strengthen trained onsite coordinator, who teachers beyond the basic content,
the teachers, to equip them with personally guides them on the best offering training on pedagogy, and
better content and better teaching way to teach a particular topic, designing and executing formative
methods, both of which would lead and on ways to supplement the and summative assessments in
to an improvement in the students’ teaching with classroom activities, mathematics and science.”
ability to learn, and consequently projects, worksheets, multimedia TCS and Tata ClassEdge
their performance.” animations, simulations and other understand the need to build a
Adds Anil Mammen, chief, digital assets. The combination robust culture of learning within
learning design and social impact, of multiple assets, with the lesson the school and outside. The training
at Tata ClassEdge: “Sanskardham is plan at the core, helps the students of teachers is facilitated through
significant in terms of scale and the imbibe the learning in a multi- collaborations between teachers
tremendous opportunity it offers us sensory environment. that extend beyond the classroom.
to make a real impact on teachers The iON digital learning platform
and students alike. The Sanskardham BETTER PARTICIPATION provides for a network, enabling
Trust has given us the necessary The new learning content has been inter- and intra-collaboration
freedom and we are working closely well received by teachers, students between teachers and students.
with TCS to measure the impact and parents. Thanks to the step- Besides, Tata ClassEdge has a
that we are making through our by-step visual guides, teachers are system in which certain teachers,
association with the project.” able to explain the content better, designated as champions, fuel a
To begin with, Sanskardham enabling students to participate continuous learning process for
initiated the use of Tata ClassEdge more actively in the class. In their colleagues.
content for mathematics, science and addition, Tata ClassEdge has also TCS has partnered with
social science in nine classrooms provided content to teachers in the CSpathshala, an initiative of
across standards 6, 7 and 8. The primary section to enable them to the Association for Computing
infrastructure required was put in familiarise themselves with it before Machinery India, to modernise the
place and this includes interactive it is formally introduced in the computing curriculum and help
‘smartboards’ and teacher-learning forthcoming academic year. students get more creative, curious
terminals. Tata ClassEdge has also “Tata ClassEdge does not and collaborative.“CSpathshala
trained the teachers to explain class just offer content that can be helps in developing a child’s logical
material effectively. used in classrooms; it is also a and analytical thinking capabilities,”
Besides receiving detailed teacher development tool,” says explains Mr Kaji. It helps a child
lesson plans, teachers benefit Mr Mammen. “We have a skilled look at a problem, break it down
from the guidance offered by a team of academics who will train the into smaller, manageable problems,
see patterns that exist and devise
a solution that addresses the
pattern. It moulds students to be
the creators and innovators of the
digital age.”
The website of the Sanskardham
institutions serves as the link
to external stakeholders. It was
important that the website reflect
the best that the institutions had to
offer. Realising this, Kanal Chhajed,
design lead of the team, set up an
initiative council, a governing body
made up of the representatives of
Sanskardham Trust’s Global Mission International School in Ahmedabad all the schools. Together, they came

BUSINESS
CSpathshala is an initiative of the Association for Computing Machinery India to modernise the computing
curriculum and help students get more creative, curious and collaborative with their learning efforts
to an understanding about which The school website can be accessed time in such a way that they have
facets needed to be highlighted and at www.gmisschool.org. time to learn something new,” says
worked accordingly. TCS has requested Sanskardham Mr Kaji. “Only if they spend quality
The redesigned website offers to apply to the Government of time on the content will they be
a seamless user experience, is India for the setting up of an Atal able to incorporate it into their
mobile-responsive and reflects Tinkering Lab within one of its teaching.” Also recommended is
the brand and the values of the schools. Equipped with Internet of the introduction of a reward and
institutions. The site, redesigned Things, 3D printers and the like, it recognition system for teachers.
from the perspectives of teachers, enables students to benefit from a TCS and Tata ClassEdge,
students and parents, showcases the multidisciplinary format of learning. experts in the fields of technology
schools’ uniqueness in pedagogy, They can be creative and work in and education, have committed
and highlights their achievements teams to find novel solutions to the themselves to the Sanskardham
and activities. challenges they face. They can create growth story for the long haul.
tangible solutions derived from their They have put their best resources
HONING SKILLS academic learning as well as from together to bring the transformation
Ms Chhajed also set up a website real-world applications. story together. This is a goal that
club, with a team of students and Besides these interventions, stretches into the far distance, but
staff members responsible for the TCS and Tata ClassEdge teams the two companies are confident
updating the website regularly with have suggested small ways in which that their efforts will empower and
information about school activities. the functioning of the schools inspire the Sanskardham Trust’s
Students now have the opportunity can be improved. These include a institutions on their journey towards
to hone their collaborative skills in change in working hours so that educational excellence. ¨
written communication and design teachers don’t feel burdened. “We
under the guidance of their teachers. need to help them balance their — Cynthia Rodrigues

BUSINESS
Technology to the fore

for better philanthropy
successes,” say K Raman, head of
Tata Trusts is going digital to drive collaboration,
strategy at Tata Trusts.
measure the progress and impact of its social For decades, the Trusts
uplift programmes, and to ensure accountability operated as a grant-giving
organisation, working through NGO
and civil society partners on the
A
t Tata Trusts, people are its heritage back to 1892 when the field. Since 2014, it has redefined the
checking their Facebook first one, the JN Tata Endowment, way it engages with the community,
feed more often these days. was launched. Today, it operates in and works to catalyse sustainable
Why, you may even find some a wide range of intervention areas and positive change. Technology
of them playing games on their — from healthcare and education is a key enabler for this. Lakshman
smartphones. That’s perfectly to conservation of India’s art and Sivasubramanian, the head of
acceptable work behaviour — culture, and in alleviating rural and strategic initiatives at the Trusts,
because the philanthropic agency urban poverty — and with a pan- puts it simply: “The technology
has taken the digital highway, and India footprint. transformation has become more
Facebook and gaming are among The larger mission to positively important today since we are no
several new tools adopted by impact 100 million lives meant that longer just a granter organisation;
the Trusts to drive its journey of the Trusts had to re-imagine the we are implementers in many cases.”
organisational transformation. nitty-gritty of how it operates, and re- Technology is critical because
The strategy for going digital engineer itself to think bigger. “The of the complexity of the Trusts’
is linked to the Trusts’ mission mission implies scale, which means engagement with communities
— to touch 100 million lives by doing programmes that impact and partners. The Trusts has over
2021. A 125-year old philanthropic multiple communities, and being able 1,000 people and it works with 450
organisation, the Trusts can trace to quickly learn and replicate these implementation partners to drive

BUSINESS
over 900 projects across India.“The phone to conduct instant blood This solution is capable of supporting
type of scale and sustainability tests. The learnings and responses high transaction volumes, multiple
that we are talking about can only to the Odisha project on Tata Trusts ledgers, currencies, entities and
be brought about by improving Connect could help boost malaria accounting standards,” says
collaboration, and ensuring eradication efforts in other states of Rukshana Savaksha, the chief
accountability and transparency India, Mr Raman explains. financial officer at Tata Trusts.
within the organisation, and with Another strategic reason The new financial solution is
our partners and the community. behind the adoption of technology expected to bring bigger benefits to
The adoption of technology is the platforms is to ensure greater the Trusts’ operations. “It will build
only way to drive this complex accountability in the work done with transparency and seamlessness
interaction,” explains Dr Devsen the community. A new performance in the way we engage with our
Kruthiventi, who joined Tata Trusts management system called i-360 implementation partners and
as chief technology officer over a has been rolled out recently, which our donors,” says Dr Devsen. The
year ago. captures commitments made to Trusts is also digitising its grant
the community as KRAs (key management system to enable
SHARING AND LEARNING result areas) for Trusts employees. smoother tracking and monitoring
This required a platform that would “This system helps in measuring of funds disbursed to individuals
promote sharing of information, impact, progress and achieving our and institutions. “The new financial
learning and best practices quickly objectives,” says Dr Devsen. tools allow us to track projects,
and seamlessly. That’s where Technology also enables timely their progress and impact, and how
Facebook came into the picture. It and more effective measurement they were implemented,” Dr Devsen
was a solution suggested by Trusts of progress and impact. At the adds. The new platform is also future
employees and it made sense for Trusts, grassroots field work across ready — for example, if the Trusts
strategic reasons — Workplace the nation comes alive through decides to start crowdsourcing
by Facebook was mobile-friendly, data analytics and dashboards. An for funds, the software can handle
easy-to-use, visually strong, and an example of this is the Data Driven that as well.
enabler of instant conversations. Governance programme, which
The new customised platform, throws up granular details of the ENGAGED EMPLOYEES
branded as Tata Trusts Connect needs of its beneficiaries, down The ‘100-million-lives’ mission
and launched in December 2017, to the gram panchayat level. “The calls for employees of the Trusts
has seen complete buy-in from its dashboard highlighted the fact that to be aligned and engaged, and
employees and partners. “People even in a district that was declared technology has come into play
put up posts about their activities open-defecation free, there was a here as well. “We wanted to
that are noticed and read. They need for 14,000 more toilets. Data understand how our employees
seek information, offer advice, and helps us measure and focus our perform with respect to certain core
connect with each other. Earlier, efforts,” says Dr Devsen. competencies — how good are they
information had to flow through The Trusts is also looking to with collaboration, alignment with
a fixed set of channels. Today, digitise the financial aspects of its values, entrepreneurial skills, etc.”
it is open to all. Collaboration operations. Last year, it disbursed says Barani Sridhar, project manager
has become totally horizontal over `10 billion in funds towards and member of the digital team.
and seamless,” says Mr Raman. community development and social The employee profile at the
To illustrate, he takes out his welfare activities across India. Trusts shows about 60% of its
smartphone to check an early This year, the Trusts’ financial staff as millennials or younger,
morning post on an Odisha project management system is moving to who are certainly comfortable
by Tata Trusts where portable digital an Oracle platform. “We are in the with technology. Hence, along
microscopes are helping eradicate process of establishing a scalable, with the conventional survey to
malaria. Case workers use the flexible and secure solution to assess employee competencies, the
microscopes and an app on their improve all our financial processes. team also deployed a game-based

BUSINESS
assessment solution. The gaming

app was piloted with around 50
Trusts employees in December 2017.
It captures traits such as decision-
making, stress management and
leadership skills, and generates a
report showing an employee’s strength
and improvement in each of the
identified competencies. “The results
have been outstanding. We received
responses from the survey and the
app, and these show us what the
gap areas are at a micro-level. These
Technology in the field inputs have gone into the design of
our learning management system,
Tata Trusts, in association with large organisations like Tata
which will help us build the required
Consultancy Services (TCS) and Google, has implemented
competencies,” says Sheetal Pawar, the
several technology-rich initiatives in the field:
head of HR at the Trusts. The gaming
Digital nerve centre (DiNC) for connecting doctors with app has been rolled out amongst
patients in remote areas: A TCS brainchild, DiNC operates employees and will soon cover all the
through a centralised call centre, a network of medical 1,000-odd partners as well.
experts and attached technology platforms. Currently, DinC
is being integrated into health implementation programmes in A NEW PLATFORM
the states of Telangana, Karnataka and Assam. The app and the Trusts’ learning
OPD transformation through re-engineering of outpatient management system named
processes: This project enables smooth patient flow in the LEAD (Learn, Explore, Aspire and
busiest of hospitals through IT, human and infrastructure Develop) are part of a new integrated
interventions. employee management platform that
Telangana Department of Health electronic health records includes HR Workline, i-360 and
and a screening solution for non-communicable diseases: Tata Trusts Connect. “We wanted
Deployed in primary health centres in Telangana and in the a comprehensive system that takes
city of Nagpur, this is a facility-based practice management care of all employee needs — travel
solution that generates complete health records of a patient, management, leave management,
from screening to treatment resolution. learning needs identification and
performance management,” says
Glo Heal: A telemedicine solution that uses connected
Roma Bhujabal, lead of the digital
devices to provide clinical health care in remote locations.
cross-functional team.
Data Driven Governance: This involves integrating technology
The new suite of technology
with traditional participatory rural appraisal methods to
tools will eventually plug into an
create an accurate local level development plan for rural
overarching platform called the
communities. It supports decision-makers in the allocation of
Tata Trusts Resource Management
development funds and delivery of government schemes.
Platform (TTRMP). “All of these
Internet Saathi: A digital literacy programme focused on rural systems are designed to improve
women in over 110,000 Indian villages. productivity. They form the basic
Agri app: A Marathi language app used by community building blocks of the larger resource
representatives in Palghar district of Maharashtra to collect management platform that we intend
data on local crops. putting in place within the next six
months,” explains Mr Raman.

BUSINESS
With tech-savvy millennials comprising 60% of its staff, Tata Trusts has deployed a game-based assessment
solution along with the conventional survey to assess employee competencies
The vision for the TTRMP ‘technology evangelists’ and host among rural women. We track their
is that it will be an open source ‘train the trainer’ programmes for engagement on a daily basis and are
architecture that will bring the employees as well as participants able to understand very quickly if
programme partners, Tata Trusts, from partner agencies. there are issues at the field level. This
donors and the community on to a This technology transformation helps us become more efficient in
single integrated platform capable exercise is all about creating ‘digital serving the community.”
of managing relationships and experiences with a human connect’ Impact measurement of
grant flows, capturing programme within the Tata Trusts ecosystem. the Trusts’ programmes will get
progress, obtaining media tracks Among the new ideas being tested better through technology as well.
and measurement of impact. Vinod is the use of virtual reality (VR) “Measuring impact can be a complex
Kamat, who recently joined the and 3D video technology to create process because there are degrees
Trusts as head of technologies, says unique and immersive digital of impact. The new tools will help
the platform design will be open and experiences around the Trusts’ us define how we create impact of
flexible to enable crowdsourcing of activities. “We want more people different degrees — for instance, it
ideas and funds, and even volunteer to engage with us. So, if we can could be directly at an individual
participation in the second phase. create a ‘Day@TataTrusts’ kind level, or indirectly through
“It will form the backbone of all that of VR experience, it will build engagement with government
we do and measure at the Trusts. It empathy and help our stakeholders bodies, which touch large
will reinforce our position of being understand what we do more populations,” says Mr Raman.
at the innovating, cutting edge of clearly,” says Mr Kamat. The scale of this technology
philanthropy,” says Anand Datla, transformation exercise is
head of assessment and impact MORE IN THE MIX unprecedented. Not surprisingly,
measurement at Tata Trusts. The technology journey could also the belief at the Trusts is stronger
To support this technology help Tata Trusts in other aspects of than ever that this journey will help
transformation journey, the Trusts its work, such as monitoring its work bridge the knowledge, transactional
has been organising training with communities at a hyper-local and geographical gaps between the
activities for employees and for level. Mr Kamat shares an example organisation and its key stakeholders
associate officers from its partner of this from one of the Trusts’ — employees, partners and the
implementation agencies. Most of ongoing programmes: “We have communities it serves. ¨
the training is being conducted by 110,000 women engaged as Internet
in-house volunteers — who act as Saathis to drive digital literacy — Gayatri Kamath

COMMUNITY
Learning curbs aplenty

A first-of-its-kind study by Tata Trusts reveals to bridge the gap between what is
taught and what is comprehended.
the reasons why foundational literacy education “Tata Trusts was aware of
in Indian languages for children is lagging paucity of original research on
literacy development in Indian
W
hy do Indian children why regional language education languages,” says Amrita Patwardhan,
struggle with literacy was proving inadequate. These head, education and sports, at the
even when taught in are serious concerns as there are Trusts. “We saw this as a unique
their mother tongues? Mastering a implications at a fundamental level opportunity to address a long-
language in terms of reading and for how we plan education and standing gap in literacy research in
writing skills is a basic capability. development of children, how they Indian languages.”
Yet a majority of children in early are taught in schools, and the basic In early 2011, Tata Trusts
education classes across India are tenets of the education system. organised a consultation with
unable to read and write at their Tata Trusts and the Azim partner NGOs to conduct field work
grade levels even when taught in Premji University came together in social development. The aim was
Indian languages. to understand the issues through a to observe on ground the methods
This is not news. A host path-breaking study, titled ‘Literacy followed in teaching children to read
of surveys and research studies Research in Indian Languages’ and write in two Indian languages
have reported the problem for (LiRIL). The study findings show — Kannada and Marathi — and to
many years. What was not clear, clearly that a complete overhaul document the challenges faced by
however, were the specific reasons of teaching material is required learners in this process.

COMMUNITY
“We lack research in the Indian chosen. The schools in Karnataka two-hour period in a supervised
context on the effectiveness of followed the multi-grade, multi- space away from the classroom
teaching in Indian languages,” says level Nali Kali curricular approach, environment.
Shailaja Menon, associate professor while those in Maharashtra used the The five-year study threw up
at Azim Premji University, who Balbharati textbooks. The study took a lot of challenges. Longitudinal
spearheaded this study over the past two years to take shape, with piloting studies, by their very nature, pose
five years. “There’s a huge body of of research tools and techniques difficulties for researchers and it
work globally which we often reach happening between 2011 and 2013. was no different in this case. “It is
out to for reference in this area. But Post that, the three-year study extremely challenging to do such
education is a social and cultural tracked children from the beginning studies,” says Ms Menon. “Keeping
enterprise and our needs and issues of grade one up to grade three, everyone in the team on ground
are very different.” the formative years for education. in the research locations for five
The need was for detailed and Quantitative data was collected years is difficult, as is keeping the
rigorous research that delved into over six rounds, as were qualitative ‘host organisations’ motivated. We
the specific nuances of how children insights based on classroom had to recruit and train people and
read and write in Indian languages. observations, teacher interviews, case develop the assessment tools from
In other words, a ‘longitudinal’ studies, in-depth student study and scratch. Moreover, we had to sustain
study, called so because it involves curriculum analysis. that capacity over time. As the child
observations made over a long About 360 children were grew, we had to assess that growth in
period of time. monitored at each research terms of learning.”
site, with a total of 720 children There was also the issue of
GOING TRIBAL tracked during the entire period. children being tracked under the
Wada (in Maharashtra) and Yadgir To assess their level of learning project dropping out abruptly. This
(in Karnataka) were the areas chosen and understanding of what was was because many tribal communities
for the study. These are considered being taught, the children were migrate for work seasonally, and they
as highly socially and economically interviewed separately. Each take their kids along. Ensuring that
disadvantaged areas, and are interview was conducted over a each child was retained within the
dominated by tribal communities.
“Tribal belts are notoriously difficult
for educational interventions,” says
Ms Menon.
Two NGOs that had already
been working in education-related
interventions in these areas —
QUEST and Kalike respectively —
were entrusted with conducting the
research in the local government
schools. With both NGOs having
worked in education-related projects
with Tata Trusts in the chosen
regions, securing official permissions
and acceptance of the team for
the LiRIL project among parents
and teachers wasn’t too difficult.
Furthermore, local youth were
selected to be part of the operational
teams, which helped as well. The LiRIL study highlighted the need to reform literacy instruction in India
Two different curricula were to bridge the gap between what is taught and what is comprehended

COMMUNITY
children with strong reading and

writing skills (see Key findings of the
Key findings of the study study at left).
“LiRIL is unique. It has assessed
Performance at the end of grade 1 was strongly predictive multiple dimensions of literacy
of performance at the end of grade 3. This highlights instruction and development,
the need for strong instruction in grade 1, and for early from student learning to teacher
identification of children who require individual attention. knowledge, beliefs and practices,
70-75% of the time in language classes is spent on lower- and how two distinct curricula —
order skills such as copying and learning letter-sound textbook-based and ‘multi grade
correspondence by using repetition or revision methods. As multi level’ — play out in classrooms,”
a result, children have been learning to read and write, but says Ms Patwardhan. “We hope
they are often unable to understand what they read. future research will draw from and
The Kannada and Marathi scripts (like many others in build on what LiRIL has done.”
India) are more complex than what is anticipated by It has also established that
existing curricula. A majority of the children mastered most spending all the time in grades one
alphabets by grade 3 but were still struggling to master and two learning a script does not
vowel sounds and combinations of vowels and consonants. ensure that a child will be proficient
The study revealed that a child’s ability to read alphabets in reading and writing.
and vowel sounds is one of the most significant predictors
of word-reading accuracy in both Kannada and Marathi. THE STRUGGLE AND AFTER
“Literacy is most widely understood
Two curricular approaches — textbook-based and
as the ability to recognise letters
‘multi grade multi level’ — which look quite different on
and stringing them together for
the surface, actually share deep similarities in terms of
decoding,” says Ms Patwardhan.
emphasis on lower-order skills in the early grades and on
“There is a tacit assumption that
rote-and-repetition as favoured methods of teaching and
comprehension will take care of itself
learning.
once decoding is mastered. This is
Teachers appear to be poorly prepared to teach early
one of the reasons why decoding
language and literacy through their pre-service and in-
and meaning-making are not taught
service teacher education programmes.
together.” With poor comprehension,
it’s no wonder that children struggle
with basic literacy and in their ability
sample was, therefore, critical. “If a to an individual child-teacher level. to learn other subjects as they move
child was absent on a particular day, “The study begins to answer the to higher grades.
our field people would visit her home, puzzling question of why,” says The study has highlighted the
or nearby areas to locate the family Ms Menon. “It complements need to reform literacy instruction
if they had moved,” says Ms Menon. existing research and the widespread by bringing meaning-making to
“We kept track of each child as far as understanding that India’s school- centre stage, and the need to do
was possible.” going children are not reading this from earliest years of the child’s
Data collection was completed and writing proficiently. These are literacy learning. It points to the
in 2016. The rest of the year was spent not generic but language-specific need for reform at several levels:
on data analysis and the final report answers to the questions we have curriculum, teacher education and
was released in November 2017. had for a long time.” support, and teaching-learning
The study is path-breaking in What sets the LiRIL study apart material, all of which needs to be
more ways than one. It sets the tone is that it comprehensively uncovers done with a long-term view to
to understand foundational language the reasons why several years of improve outcomes.
education better by breaking it down schooling have failed to equip these “Teacher education, at pre-

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service and in-service levels, is a

weak link,” says Ms Patwardhan.
“As a result, teachers have not
been equipped with a current
understanding of how children learn
to read and write, and the kind of
support that first-generation literacy
learners require.”
Improving this situation
will require extensive investment
in teacher education, re-visiting
curricular assumptions about pace
of literacy learning, and ensuring
the availability and use of engaging
and authentic textbooks in language
literacy classrooms.
In addition to the main report,
three teacher guides have been
The problem is elephantine
prepared by the LiRIL team. Efforts This is an interaction between a teacher and a grade 1 student
are underway to share the findings in Yadgir, Karnataka. The card used during the instruction
with teachers, teacher educators, shows the picture of an elephant.
practitioners and policymakers, Teacher (T, points to the card): What do you see?
including the committee appointed Child (C): Aane (commonly used word for elephant)
to draft the Indian government’s
T looks puzzled. She realises that aane is correct, but it does
‘new education policy’.
not fit the alphabets that have been taught at that level.
The LiRIL study has drawn
T: Yes, aane is correct, but there is another word, and that is
considerable interest at the
salaga (for tusker).
official level in Maharashtra
Salaga is used in the curriculum because its easier to spell
and Karnataka. “We are in
than aane; it also models the alphabets currently being taught.
conversation with the education
departments of the two, and their C does not respond. T makes C repeat after her, then goes
representatives have attended our through three pictures on the same card. Finally, she comes
public dissemination event [where back and points to the elephant picture again.
the report was presented],” says T: What do you see?
Ms Menon. “They were on board C: Aane.
even before the release of the report T: Yes, correct, but I said salaga is another word.
and both the governments have T makes child repeat after her, then goes through the other
been receptive of the intent of our three pictures and points to the elephant picture again.
research and findings.” T: What do you see?
As a first step towards C: Aane.
understanding India’s literacy
T: (Impatiently) I said say salaga.
challenges in greater detail, the
She makes the child repeat after her, then goes through the
LiRIL study serves its purpose fairly
other three pictures and points to the picture again.
well. But, as Ms Menon says, “Fixing
T: What do you see?
what is wrong is obviously going to
be a long haul.” ¨ C: I don’t know.
Teacher moves on to next student.
— Vikas Kumar

COMMUNITY
L
ife for Roshni Devi has turned
better. In just one year, the
28-year-old dairy farmer from
Bhayari village in Alwar, Rajasthan,
has earned `160,000 from selling
milk. She has been able to buy an
additional cow and a buffalo and
is looking to further grow her milk
production business. The money
brings benefits, among them an
enrolment in a private school for her
son. All this is a result of her joining
the Sakhi Mahila Milk Producer
Company (MPC).
The Sakhi Mahila MPC is one
of four dairy companies that were
set up as a part of the ‘Tata dairy
mission’. Under this programme,
Tata Trusts established the Dairy
Health and Nutrition Initiative India
Foundation (DHANII) as a not-for-
profit company. The intent behind
DHANII and the Tata dairy mission
is to help milk producers earn more
by enhancing their knowledge about
milk production, breeding and
animal health and nutrition.
DHANII aims to transform
the economy of around 800
villages across five states in India.
These villages have been selected
because they are home to agrarian
communities with typically small
individual land holdings, poor crop
yields and low agricultural incomes.
Arun Pandhi, director of
programme implementation at Tata
CREAM OF
Trusts and a director with DHANII,
explains the significance of dairy
income for small farmers: “About
80% of rural households in India
THE CROP
The ‘Tata dairy mission’ of Tata Trusts works
have less than 2 hectares of land.
The farmers only get paid during
crop harvests when they sell their
produce, which on average is just
twice a year.”
with marginal farmers to promote milk For these small and marginal
production as a sustainable livelihood option farmers, rearing livestock serves

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as a sustainable source of income. fair prices for the milk they supply. organisations, we work with the
“Dairy farming is the most common The dairies are equipped with the farmer base to generate an adequate
animal husbandry activity in our latest technology and infrastructure quantity of milk. Since this is a
country,” says Mr Pandhi. “It is also and have assured market linkages. business, the MPCs have to get
the only farm-allied activity for a rural Milk brought by the farmers is certain volumes of milk from villages
household to get any kind of regular collected at a ‘milk pooling point’ for them to be viable. This means
cash income. About 15-30% of a in each village. Dairy-appointed that they are selective about the
rural household’s income comes from sahayaks (assistants) stationed villages they include. We work with
livestock-related activity.” at these points use tamper-proof farmers in various ways so that
Support for dairy development equipment to test the milk deposited villages that are being left out can
was a natural progression for the by farmers, who get paid based on also be incorporated in due course.
Trusts. Rural livelihood development the quality of their produce. NDS comes on board with inputs on
has been a key engagement area how to set up a MPC, how to run the
for the Trusts for a number of TRANSPARENT SYSTEM unit and how to sell the milk.”
decades, with programmes spread “Farmers get quality tests done The MPCs also provide inputs
across farming, irrigation, water on their milk, which isn’t usually that are crucial for better animal
conservation, fisheries, marketing available in such areas,” says health and nutrition, which in turn
of produce and more. “If we want Baljinder Singh Saini, area manager lead to increased milk yields for dairy
an extension of agriculture projects (dairy) with Tata Trusts. “This farmers. This is achieved through a
to head towards some level of transparent system also ensures that ‘ration balancing programme’, which
sustainability, it is necessary to they get a fair price for their milk.” ensures that the animals receive the
stabilise incomes at the household Says Mr Pandhi about the right kind of nutrition.
level,” says Mr Pandhi. “In India, dairy Trusts’ engagement with the “Most fodder doesn’t contain
has been the easier option to support a farmers:“Through our associate the minerals required to keep the
small rural household.”
DHANII will improve livelihoods
by linking milk producers to the
market through MPCs or dairies.
The DHANII advantage
In 2016, DHANII supported the
Set up to sustainably enhance the incomes
establishment of four MPCs,
of milk producers by building their capacity
including Sakhi Mahila in Alwar.
and knowledge on milk production, animal health,
The other MPCs are Asha Mahila in
breed improvement and animal nutrition.
Pali (Rajasthan), Shwetdhara Mahila
in Pratapgarh (Uttar Pradesh) and Objective: To cover 34,000 households spread over
Ruhaanii in Mansa (Punjab). 800 villages across five states, and to enhance
These MPCs have been set up their incomes by `24,000-30,000 per annum.
with technical support from the Four milk producer companies were set up in
National Dairy Development Board’s 2016 with technical support from NDS.
Dairy Services (NDS). In addition,
485 villages have been covered so far in Rajasthan,
about 85 villages that come under
Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
the Trusts’ intervention through
the Coastal Salinity Prevention Around 13,557 members contribute 67,800
Cell are being linked with the milk litres of milk every day under the project.
procurement system of Maahi in
8,000 families from 200 villages in
Gujarat, an existing MPC promoted
Maharashtra’s Yavatmal district to be
by NDS.
covered in 2018-19.
The MPCs help organise farmers
and play an important role in ensuring

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DHANII has tied up with a private bank to bring banking to the doorstep of rural milk producers
animals healthy and productive,” Since its launch in 2016, Another achievement has been the
says Mr Saini. “Providing mineral DHANII has covered 485 villages in availability of doorstep banking
mixtures with the animal feed has four states: Rajasthan, Punjab, Uttar in remote areas. MPCs in three
not only improved the quality of Pradesh and Gujarat. More than locations have tied up with a private
milk, but has also reduced the inter- 13,000 dairy farmers have seen an bank, whose representatives go to
calving period.” improvement in the quantity and the milk pooling points so that the
Milk producers also quality of milk they sell. farmers can withdraw money when
benefit from inputs on artificial For example, thanks to the they need to.
insemination, infertility guidance Roshni Devi received, she Success with the programme
management, breed improvement now sells 15-20 litres of milk a day, has bolstered the expansion plans
practices and other farm advisory up from just 2 litres earlier. Her of the Tata dairy mission. “We
services. Bimla Devi, a dairy farmer realisations from the MPC too have will double our capacity in Alwar
from Jodhpura village in Rajasthan, gone up substantially, from `25-30 and Pali districts of Rajasthan and
has seen the difference these services per litre to `40-45 per litre. cover a further 200 villages in the
can make. She attended infertility state,” says Mr Pandhi. “Also, a new
management camps organised by the STABLE AND ABLE producer company will be set up in
Sakhi Mahila MPC and NDS, which Being a member of the MPC has Yavatmal district in Maharashtra
encouraged her to opt for artificial also meant more stability, as and this will cover 200 villages.”
insemination over natural breeding Mr Saini explains:“The prices that For Roshni Devi and hundreds
methods to secure better results. the dairy farmers receive have of small farmers like her, the benefits
The input services and stabilised since they are now based of being a part of the Tata dairy
programmes are closely supervised on the quality of the milk. Even if mission have been far more than
by teams from DHANII and NDS. there is a seasonal variation in milk monetary. They can now afford a
The teams assist with veterinary production, the prices don’t change better quality of life for themselves
services, help in the purchase of as they get paid based on quality.” and their families, and can hope for
cattle through self-help groups, Thanks to digitalisation, a better future. ¨
and work with producers to ensure the farmers directly receive
availability of fodder. payments in their bank accounts. — Priyanka Hosangadi

TECH TALK
Game-changing tech
Gopichand Katragadda looks at how technology has pushed
the frontiers to impact the performance of sportspersons and
the experience of viewers
W
ho can forget Kapil Dev taking significantly dependent on technology,
the catch to get Vivian Richards same as sports itself. An example: Tata
out off Madan Lal’s bowling in the Elxsi worked with leading broadcasters to
1983 World Cup? In those days, Bengaluru ensure quality of service, deploying the
had only black and white television latest technologies. Elxsi has developed
broadcast and only one channel — the remote digital video recording (DVR) set-
national TV (Doordarshan). The match top boxes and multi-room / multi-screen
was interrupted many times with standard DVR that allow time-shifting, record and
programming, including the news. replay of sports events to the delight of the
To watch a replay, one had to wait viewers who are unable to check on the
for Doordarshan to decide when they sports event live when traveling or out of
would show the replay during the game their homes.
or wait for a repeat broadcast. There was, As another example, Pixellot, a
of course, no concept of the third umpire startup I had the opportunity to visit in
who could use technology to listen for
contact of bat and ball or visually confirm a
stumping. Technology in broadcasting was Dr Gopichand Katragadda, group chief technology
a minimum and depended a lot on the skill officer, Tata Sons, is responsible for technology at
the Tata group level, managing R&D operations,
of the cameraman to capture moments like
leveraging cross-company synergies, creating
the skyer from Vivian Richards’ bat. technology strategies for white spaces, and acting as
Today sports broadcasting is an evangelist for innovation across Tata companies.

TECH TALK
Israel, uses multiple cameras on a single way to cork / cricket ball bats. A cricket
footprint equipment to stitch panoramic ball bat typically was either owned by an
6K-resolution TV quality video. Portions institution or was a family heirloom. An
of this video can then be used for live SS bat was handled with no less reverence
4K sports production broadcast using than a traditional musical instrument.
automated game flow tracking and zoom Tradition was to break in a new bat with
capabilities. Leading broadcasters are a mallet and maintain it over years with
providing internet-based services catering linseed oil lovingly applied to any exposed
especially to followers of live sporting wood. The Marylebone Cricket Club
events. Tata Elxsi has developed intellectual (MCC) is the caretaker of the regulations
property to automatically test user that govern cricket. When a leading bat
experience while consuming internet-based maker introduced a graphite sticker
broadcasting. backing, the MCC stepped in saying that
Technology has also impacted the development contravened Law 6. The
the performance and experience of the Laws of Cricket were first drafted in 1744,
sportsperson. Be it the materials used in a and Law 6.2 (updated in 2003) states that
golf club, aerodynamic designs and materials any covering material should not cause
of sportswear for bicyclists, or wearables used unacceptable damage to the ball.
by a marathoner, the sportsperson can focus In other examples, a sport has been
on pushing the limits of human performance. quick to adopt new technology. In the case
Technology also helps coaches, of hockey, AstroTurf was introduced in
managers, spectators, and fans in their 1976 and changed the game completely.
respective contexts with sports. The TCS From being a game of dribbling skill,
NYC marathon app, as an example, provides the game changed to one of strength and
several options for users to connect with speed. From 1928 to 1972, India won a
the event as family, friends, and as a hockey medal in every Olympic event,
marathoner, before, during, and after the including six gold, one silver and two
event. The app allows live on-map tracking bronze medals. From 1976 till date, India
of your favorite runners with splits at the has only one medal — a gold in 1980.
start, every 5K, at the half, and at the finish. When technology changes involve
Other technologies are critical in training significant costs such as AstroTurf,
athletes, from giving swimmers that extra developed economies can adapt quickly
second of speed to an additional bit of by providing their athletes access to newer
accuracy to archers and shooters. At Boca infrastructure while other countries play
Raton, Florida, I have myself experienced catch-up. There are specific sports such
technology which visualised, analysed, and as Formula 1 racing which are anchored
corrected my golf swing. on advancing technology. F1 thrives
Sports regulations can hardly keep pace on pushing the frontiers of structural
with technology, and sports traditions rarely materials, engine systems, control systems,
welcome new developments. Most kids tyres, testing systems and maintenance
in Bengaluru played rubber or tennis ball systems to name a few.
cricket while growing up. Those who were While it is a continuing debate as
serious about cricket graduated to a cork to how much technology is good for
ball. Only a few could afford the regulation sport, there is no denying that impact of
cricket ball — a small cork ball wound with technology on sport has been significant
twine and encased in leather. Cricket bats and will continue to free up humans to
varied in quality from homemade makeshift push the frontiers of physical and mental
bats to tennis / rubber ball bats, all the performance. ¨

TECH TALK
Data mined? Now

make it perform
Data should be seen as a strategic asset and, as with oil,
there is much to be distilled from it, says Ananth Krishnan
W
hen I joined Tata Consultancy The plant control system enables the tweaking
Services 30 years ago, data resided of several parameters that impact emissions:
in large mainframes, in the sanctum coal flow, air flow, temperature or pressure. A
sanctorum of the IT department. Hardly boiler commissioning expert, after conducting
anyone had access to these machines. Data was a number of tests on the boiler for a given type
collected and stored in neat rows and columns. of coal, determines the most suitable operating
Only a certain number of reports could be run conditions for controlling emissions. If the type
on the type of data collected, and that seemed of coal changes, it becomes necessary to carry
to satisfy business functions. out dozens of tests on the boiler. This is an
Data is not so well behaved today. It floods expensive, time-consuming effort.
through our servers in multiple formats. Users Creating a digital replica of the boiler
of the internet alone generate 2.5 quintillion or the whole power plant using past data
bytes of data each day. There is more data from operations, will be useful to run various
coming from different gadgets and from people. scenarios and determine the best conditions
Genomes, for instance, are a big data source. for new types of coal. The digital twin runs
Valuable insights are buried in the text, audio in tandem with the physical entity and keeps
and visual data emerging from diverse sources. learning from the data, through advanced
This is a big challenge, but with each artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. This helps
passing year, we are able to handle data better the organisation run fewer tests, reduce efforts
and use it meaningfully. A few examples: in analysing the results, and thus create savings.
The digital twin: Manufacturing New material matters: The World
operations are fairly well automated today. Steel Association states that there are about
However, automation systems deployed across
the enterprise are not completely integrated.
Optimising operations to meet targets still
depends on the knowledge, skill and intuition
Ananth Krishnan is executive vice president
of plant engineers. Let us take the case of and chief technology officer at Tata
emission control in a thermal power plant. Consultancy Services.

TECH TALK
3,500 grades of steel. And yet there are new departments would find chatbots to be good
requirements from various industries for new assistants that can answer basic queries on
grades: the automobile industry is looking for policies such as leave eligibility and insurance
advanced high-strength steels that are lighter, entitlement. Chatbots built on ‘deep learning’
the medical industry asks for martensitic steel models process and answer questions raised
for precision instruments, and so on. To create in natural language from employees. For the
materials according to customer requirements employee, it feels like having a conversation
involves many types of data, and many teams with a human. The bot keeps learning through
working closely together. interactions, enriching its knowledge base.
‘Integrated computing materials Artificial intelligence: The profusion of
engineering’ (ICME) is a method that brings data available is helping AI algorithms mature.
together key players: the materials engineer, the Our search inputs, coming at roughly 2 million
researcher, product developer, manufacturing records per minute, help Google refine its search
engineer, and design and application engineers. algorithms. Similarly, voice-based assistants
A central digital platform helps them such as Siri improve with the increased voice
collaborate and exchange data, information interactions they process. Once trained on good
and knowledge from different systems. The quality data, AI techniques help applications
platform has building block models for a variety enrich themselves by learning from new data.
of foundational engineering design problems Robust AI-based applications are invaluable for
and the knowledge pertaining to their design managers who make crucial decisions based
processes: product components, materials, on countless parameters. They can save costs
manufacturing processes, physics-based and aid in making more informed, less risky
simulation models, models learnt from data, decisions. They help in upping operational
etc. It is trained to make simulations easy to efficiency and customer experience.
run. A well-designed ICME platform drastically AI-based platforms find application in
reduces the time and effort spent and creates every industry: pricing products in an omni-
better quality material. channel, retail environment; optimising store
Power play: As the world gets more space for maximum returns; controlling fraud
and more power hungry, there is a need to with speech biometrics for banks and high-
generate, distribute and monetise electricity security environments; image-recognition
in an optimal way. The electricity value chain applications that can be embedded in robots
is tightly coupled; any fluctuation in weather, and drones; autonomous cars; unravelling
demand and supply can impact the entire genomic data and personalising medicine; even
value chain. Consumption patterns, dependent in training strategies for sportspeople.
on region and time, vary widely. Energy AI offers exciting possibilities. As its fuel,
companies would like to understand the best data is gaining in value. Data trading platforms
bidding strategy in such volatility, and tools are already in use. Copenhagen — to reach
that guide this decision-making are growing its goal of being a carbon neutral city by 2025
more sophisticated. The entire electricity value — has launched the City Data Exchange as a
chain can now be modelled using AI-based software-as-a-service solution that allows the
systems. With increased usage, these platforms sale, purchase and sharing of a wide variety of
become more knowledgeable and efficient, and data from multiple sources.
will help power producers to make the best use Every company has a wealth of data.
of their assets. You have to mine it for insights, just as usable
Bot benefit: Even as Amazon Echo and products are distilled from crude oil. You have
Cortana are making waves among consumers, to guard it, because every breach will tell you
text-based conversational agents, or ‘chatbots’, how precious your data is. Data is a strategic
are gaining in popularity. For instance, HR asset; you just have to make it perform! ¨

CONSUMER TRACK
No doubts about our

great love for sports
Sports has an everlasting, universal and fascinating appeal for
consumers and marketers everywhere, says Harish Bhat
S
itting at the launch event of the Commonwealth Games and Wimbledon,
Tata Mumbai Marathon 2018, I was notwithstanding the significant investments
delighted and amazed to see the huge that such sponsorships entail. Clearly, brands
amount of popular interest in this sporting do this because marketers are convinced that
event. As many as 44,000 people had already their consumers love sports, therefore this
registered to run in this event. Media attention is an excellent method to build a strong
in this race had scaled a new peak this year, brand connect.
even as the iconic pole vaulter Sergei Bubka An interesting question that arises is, why
was announced as brand ambassador of the do consumers love sports? Why do millions of
marathon. I know of more than 20 people people across the world passionately follow the
in my apartment complex in Mumbai, who sports that they love — cricket, tennis, football,
have been training hard over the past several kabbadi or athletics? If you follow one or more
months to run in this marathon. Here is an sports yourself, pause and ask yourself this
example of a sporting event that has built huge question. Here are some reasons why I think
appeal within a relatively short period of time. sports holds such universal appeal.
As a marketer, I have been fascinated by
the appeal that sports and sportspeople hold SPORTS IS EXCITING
for consumers everywhere. Over the years, We love excitement in our lives; it gets our
many famous sportspeople have appeared adrenalin going and elevates us from our daily
as ambassadors for Tata brands — including routines. Sports delivers us strong doses of
Formula 1 driver Narain Karthikeyan for excitement, packaged within brief stints of time
Tata Motors, ace cricketers MS Dhoni for
Sonata watches and Virat Kohli for Fastrack,
boxing champion Mary Kom for Tata Salt and
mountaineer Bachendri Pal for Tata Steel.
In similar fashion, many reputed brands Harish Bhat is brand custodian, Tata Sons. He is a
curious marketer and an avid writer.
sponsor sporting events, such as the Olympics,

CONSUMER TRACK
that we can manage even in the midst of our awe of the human form at its best. When
hectic life schedules. In fact, because a sports we watch champions break one record after
tournament is so exciting, it is one of the few another, we are amazed at their skills and
activities that holds our undivided attention, ability to constantly exceed themselves. In
even in this age of digital distractions. The one short, we admire (and in some special cases,
hour that you spend watching a football or we virtually worship) our sports champions.
kabbadi match, or the half day you invest in a No wonder marketers constantly turn to these
T-20 cricket match, pays you back many times sportspeople to endorse their brands.
over through the excitement that it injects into
the routine of your life. Who will win? When HEALTH AND FITNESS
will that all-important goal be scored, and who Sports has also become very popular in
will score it? The match is on the edge; it is modern days because of our quest for health
swinging back and forth; how will it all end? and wellness. In the midst of our hectic work
Sometimes the suspense is nerve-wracking, and life schedules, we are increasingly aware
and because we long for such excitement, we that being healthy and fit is essential. In fact,
will always love sports. health and fitness now has the makings of a
big lifestyle trend. Sports is perceived as an
ROOTING FOR OUR TEAM accessible method of pursuing our health
Tribal loyalties are a deep-rooted reality of and fitness goals, because we can always
human history and society. In modern times, embark on simple pursuits such as running or
sports teams help us express and experience swimming or cycling, provided of course we
a new type of tribal loyalty, to the team that set our mind to it. Joining a neighbourhood
we root for. This is why some of us are such cricket team or playing badminton in a local
passionate Manchester United fans, whereas club are pursuits that are accessible to many
others are sworn-for-life Real Madrid followers. of us. Some of these sports require specific
Not only do we avidly follow the team that we apparel or gear, which has created a rapidly
support, and their games, but we also chant growing opportunity for marketers.
their anthems and wear and use their specially
branded merchandise. Sports teams, like SPORTS IS FUN
ancient tribes, cater to our need for belonging Last, but not the least, sports is also fun, and
and sharing, and they also provide us outlets one of the best ways to relax after a hard day at
for our spontaneous feelings and emotions. work or at college. Modern tournaments, such
as IPL cricket, have blended sport, glamour,
EPITOME OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT music, food and drink to create an even more
We greatly admire very successful fun cocktail that all of us can enjoy any day,
sportspeople, including champion athletes, even if we do not have any expert knowledge of
because they represent the epitome of human the game involved. And for some of us, the fun
achievement. Being a champion in sports element also arises from interesting intellectual
requires physical and mental prowess, stamina discussions around the strategies and tactics of
and dedication, and grit and determination. the sport that we follow so passionately.
What is also inspiring is that many sports All these varied reasons explain our
champions overcome incredible odds to universal love of sports. This is also why
reach these pinnacles. For millions of people marketers and brands the world over will
across the world, these are very aspirational use sports and sportspeople to connect with
attributes — perhaps beyond our reach, but consumers like you and me. What is your
always worth paying tribute to. When we favourite brand advertisement featuring sports
watch the well-toned bodies of champions, or a sportsperson? Do write in (harishbhat@
as they perform in their arena, we stand in tata.com) and let me know. ¨

BACK CHAT
‘This has been a superb

foundation season’
The right side of attack was Steve
Coppell’s stomping ground during
a distinguished, if relatively short,
playing career that saw him make 322
appearances for Manchester United
and win 42 caps for England. As coach
of Jamshedpur FC, though, the plain-
speaking 62-year-old is placed bang in the
middle of affairs as the debutant franchise
finds its feet in the Indian Super League.
Beginning as a manager at the ripe
young age of 28, following a career-ending
knee injury, Mr Coppell took charge of
Crystal Palace in 1984 and guided it to
the top flight of English football. He has
been a manager with nine other clubs
— inclusive of a forgettable 33-day spell
with Manchester City in 1996 — using an
analytical approach that perhaps has a bit
to do with graduating in economics while
still a professional footballer.
Pragmatic and efficient are the words
used most often to describe the squads
Mr Coppell has coached and these
qualities are reflected in the displays of
Jamshedpur FC in the 10-club league.
The Liverpool native speaks here to
Tata Review about the team and how it
was put together, the players and their
showing thus far.

BACK CHAT
“We wanted a good Indian goalkeeper and that’s what

we went for first. I had scouted players in the previous
Federation Cup and we tried to secure those who
were in form. Some we got and some we didn’t.”
How did you come to be the coach The next step was to bring in the
of Jamshedpur FC? international players. We wanted to sign players
There was no great thought process behind who had previous ISL experience. In the first
it. To be honest, I was on the verge of signing half of the season, we had seven international
for Kerala Blasters but that didn’t happen for players and in January we added Wellington
whatever reason. Then Ishfaq Ahmed, who Priori to complete our quota of eight. The
I had worked with back at Kerala Blasters, whole process is a patchwork quilt; there is no
informed me about the possibility of a new formula. You take advantage of the situation
franchise from Jamshedpur. I heard that the you’re in and make the most of it from there on.
Tatas were supporting the project and that got
me extremely interested. Are you satisfied with the progress
Jamshedpur FC has made?
Did you know much about the club We have been formed from nothing and
and its management structure whatever happens this year is going to be
before taking up the position? positive. We are unlike the other teams, in
I had no idea about Jamshedpur as a city. I that they had three years of experience in
met the management team in Mumbai and the league. Even Bengaluru FC had three
they convinced me to join. I knew that the successful seasons in the I-League before
Tata Football Academy had been in existence making its ISL debut, so they knew what
for many years and I knew that the club had a needed to be done.
stadium that needed a lot of work. Jamshedpur As far as Jamshedpur FC is concerned,
FC was an exciting opportunity and a this has been a superb foundation season.
combination of various factors led me to sign Overall, it has been a learning experience for
up for it. the club, especially in terms of logistics. We
now know the what, when, where and how
How did you and the club go about of Jamshedpur, and we also learned about
putting the team together? travelling to other cities from Jamshedpur and
We had the chance to get the players we competing there.
wanted. We didn’t have the option, like the
other teams did, of retaining players but we How have your interactions with
had the first and second picks in the draft. We the club’s hierarchy been?
wanted a good Indian goalkeeper and that’s I have had interactions but not a whole lot of
what we went for first. I had scouted players in them. My points of contact have been Mukul
the previous Federation Cup and we tried to Choudhari (the chief executive of Jamshedpur
secure those who were in form. Some we got FC) and Sunil Bhaskaran (vice president,
and some we didn’t. I relied heavily on Ishfaq corporate services, Tata Steel). When I really
for the rest of the team since he is aware of need something to happen, they always
the physical and mental elements I look for in magically get it done. They don’t tread on my
my players. And that’s how we selected our 15 toes and I don’t tread on theirs. We trust one
Indian players in the draft. another. ¨

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From the editor

72 ‘KALINGANAGAR HAS BEEN A 76 ‘WE WILL TAKE ONE STEP AT A TIME’

Business Christabelle Noronha

EDITED AND CREATED BY

96 TATA TRUSTS: 100 TATA TRUSTS: Phone: 91-22-6665 8282

LEARNING CURBS APLENTY CREAM OF THE CROP

Consumer track Back chat

The Tata Mumbai Marathon is the latest example

6 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 7

Going the distance

8 Tata Review n January-March 2018

The Tata Mumbai Marathon, Asia’s biggest endurance

Images courtesy Procam International

10 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 11

12 Tata Review n January-March 2018

The Tata Mumbai Marathon attracted

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 13

Running around the world

14 Tata Review n January-March 2018

CLOCKING GLOBAL MILES

TCS supports more than 20 running events around the

TCS AMSTERDAM MARATHON

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 15

The benefits are many

16 Tata Review n January-March 2018

It helps us increase our engagement with

TCS is the title sponsor of many

TCS has entered into technology

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 17

18 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 19

20 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 21

Steeled for play

22 Tata Review n January-March 2018

On the ball with Jamshedpur FC

Tata Steel Adventure Foundation

24 Tata Review n January-March 2018

for football and athletics, but also offers

Tata Archery Academy

Tata Athletics Academy

Naval Tata Hockey Academy

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 25

Kati, a sport of the Santhals, demands agility,

In a league of their own

26 Tata Review n January-March 2018

Played by the Ho tribe, sekkor is finding its place in

after the harvest season by teams of 10

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 27

28 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 29

32 Tata Review n January-March 2018

MOTORING MANIA: British sports stars Zara

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 33

KIDDING AROUND: Children at a summer football training camp

BODY AND MIND: Participants (above) get started

36 Tata Review n January-March 2018

TEAMING UP: Badminton ace Saurabh

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 37

38 Tata Review n January-March 2018

January-March 2018 n Tata Review 39

40 Tata Review n January-March 2018