Abstract

Business Excellence and sustainable development have become the part of the core strategy of

reputed companies in the world and India is no exception to this. In fact, these two core elements

have helped companies to build their brands. Two such companies which have been discussed

through this paper are Tata Steel and Asian Paints. The former with a history of more than a

century is a marvel with a DNA of business excellence and sustainability and has achieved

accolades all over the world for producing quality steel at the lowest cost with its cutting edge

technology and serving the communities and environment not for the sake of regulatory

compliance but by its core philosophy, intent and conscious choice. Asian Paints, a giant in the

paint industry took recourse to digitization as a tool of competitive advantage in terms of

acquisition of customers and owning their loyalty which in turn has given it a double digit

growth with huge profit for more than a decade and which has offered it to take initiatives in the

realm of community services and eco-friendly processes.

Redefining Management Practices in the Digital Age with reference

to TISCO and Asian Paints

Dr. C.S. Adhikari, Dean-Academics

Ms. Shatabdi S Das, Research Associate

Introduction

Many changes some time disruptive are happening in the world at a fast pace touching upon

individuals, organizations, businesses and nations in a big way. The overall impact of these

changes has affected development and growth parameters positively as well as adversely in

different contexts. For instance growth of businesses and nations has impacted ecology and

environment adversely. Likewise, growth of businesses and nationals have also resulted into

widening of gaps between the rich and poor, generation X and generation Y. Eric Schmidt and

Jared Cohen in their book “The New Digital Age” have identified some key aspects of people,

organizations and the nations which will be highly influenced by the new digital age. The first

and foremost is the shift of power from the institutions to individuals. They remarked “On the

world stage, the most significant impact of the spread of communication technologies will be the

way they help re-allocate the concentration of power from states and institutions and transfer it to

individuals.” The second powerful impact of the digitalization will happen in terms of
information overload that the tech savvy generation will have access to. The authors believe that

“By 2025, the majority of the world’s population will, in one generation, have gone from having

virtually no access to unfiltered information to accessing all of the world’s information through a

device that fits in the palm of the hand.” They further argue “Identity will be the most valuable

commodity for citizens in the future, and it will exist primarily online.” Likewise loss of privacy,

dissonance between technology and geopolitics, virtual reality, personalization and

customization and Internet is the largest experiment involving anarchy in history. Hundreds of

millions of people are, each minute, creating and consuming an untold amount of digital content

in an online world that is not truly bound by terrestrial laws.”1

A major part of these changes is attributable to technology. It is widely believed that technology

is going to drive the lives of the people, businesses and nations across the globe in big way. It is

in this backdrop that the Lisbon post-2010 agenda clarified that growth and jobs need not only

to be smart, but also environmentally, socially and economically sustainable.

While it is true that information and technology led disruptions in businesses have revolutionized

the entire gamut of managing businesses, it is also true that the impact of business is now being

seen in terms of profits, people and planet. These 3 Ps have become the core of brand building

exercise of the most remembered and respected companies of the world. In India, two such

companies, one which believes in Business Excellence through 3 Ps is none other than Tata Steel

and the other which has done exceedingly well mainly in terms of profit and its people by way of

digital transformation is Asian Paints. The paper has been divided into two parts: Part I deal with
the business excellence and 3Ps of Tata Steel whereas Part II deals with the digitalization of

Asian Paints.

Objectives:

 To define best business practices in terms of their touch points.

 To discuss the best business practices of Tata Steel in terms of business excellence

through total quality management (TQM) and its initiatives related to 3Ps.

 To study digital transformation of Asian Paints.

Methodology

Entire paper illustrating the business practices of two leading companies of India with special

reference to 3 Ps and digitization has been mainly sourced from secondary sources such as

research papers from various journals, annual reports of the company, reports of consulting firms

and various websites. Hence, the paper does not deal with any research problem as such.

Part-I

What are best business practices?

In a welfare state like ours, business is not an indifferent identity today, it has certain normative

connotations and hence today business objectives are not merely confined to profit; but serving

the interests of the people and community associated with the business without adversely

affecting the planet are equally important objectives of the business. Hence, it is not only the
quantity or rate of growth, quality of growth is also important and hence we talk about trade off,

sustainability, development which in a way defines responsible business. The qualitative

considerations of growth have led to define the business with normative and judgmental

connotations such as ethical, fair, best, excellent, responsible business etc.

Let us now define best business practices. A best practice is a method or technique that has

consistently shown results superior to those achieved with other means, and that is used as a

benchmark. In addition, a "best" practice can evolve to become better as improvements are

discovered. Best practice is considered by some as a business buzzword, used to describe the

process of developing and following a standard way of doing things that multiple organizations

can use.2

Based on the extensive documentation and research on the best business practices with a data

base of more than 10000 empirical studies from 3500 companies around the globe, the Hackett

Group have defined the best business practices; The studies addressed both qualitative

performance – such as functional alignment with business, hr, procurement, IT and finance

strategy, process design, process benchmarking, level of technology leverage, ability/readiness to

partner with customers and suppliers, supply chain process and organization design – and

traditional quantitative metrics, such as cost, cycle time, quality and productivity.
According to the Hackett Group a best practice is one which aligns with strategy and improves

productivity, promotes timely execution, enables better decision making,

leverages/exploits existing/emerging technologies, ensures acceptable levels of control

and risk management, optimizes the skills and capabilities of the organization and

promotes collaboration across the extended enterprise. 3

By and large these best practices have been defined in terms of business excellence from the

point of view of earning profit by maximizing total revenue and minimizing total cost by

taking recourse to various quality measures through Total Quality Management (TQM).

However, as discussed in the introduction itself business now is being seen much beyond

profit and incorporates people and planet. In this backdrop, here are some cases of best

business practices of some leading Indian companies which are immersed to the

objectives of 3Ps, i.e People, Profit and Planet.

Best Business Practices of Tata Steel

"No success or achievement in material terms is worthwhile unless it serves the needs or

interests of the country and its people”. -J R D Tata

Established in 1907 as Asia's first integrated private sector steel company, Tata Steel Group is

among the top-ten global steel companies with an annual crude steel capacity of over 29 million

tonnes per annum (MnTPA). It is now the world's second-most geographically-diversified steel

producer, with operations in 26 countries and a commercial presence in over 50 countries. The

Tata Steel Group, with a turnover of US$ 24.82 billion in FY 13, has over 80,000 employees
across five continents and is a Fortune 500 company. The Group's vision is to be the world's steel

industry benchmark in "Value Creation" and "Corporate Citizenship" through the excellence of

its people, its innovative approach and overall conduct. Underpinning this vision is a

performance culture committed to aspiration targets, safety and social responsibility, continuous

improvement, openness and transparency. It adopted the J N Tata Quality Award Model based on

Malcolm Baldrige Model for its various divisions in the company in 1992. Later it adopted the

JRDQV Model for Business Excellence in 1994 for competing with other group companies.

Benchmarking and Business Process Reengineering (BPR) emerged as powerful Management

Tools in this direction complimenting the TQM efforts at Tata Steel in terms of continuous

improvement in process and practices. Concept of Balanced Score Card was integrated with the

TQM strategy of the company in 1998. (Diagram 1)

In 2008, Tata Steel India became the first integrated steel plant in the world, outside Japan, to be

awarded the Deming Application Prize 2008 for excellence in Total Quality Management (Refer

Diagram 1). In 2012, Tata Steel became the first integrated steel company in the world, outside

Japan, to win the Deming Grand Prize 2012 instituted by the Japanese Union of Scientists and

Engineers.4
 Diagram 1

Source:tal.co.in/Tata Business Excellence Model

Quality, People and Society: DNA of Tata Steel

Nothing could sum up the culture of Tata Companies more succinctly the above quote by JRD

Tata. Tata Quality Management Services (TQMS) a division of Tata Sons) had been entrusted

with the task of institutionalizing the Tata Business Excellence Model (TBEM) (Diagram 2). The

TBEM provides each company with a wide outline to help it improve business performance and

attain higher levels of efficiency and productivity. It aims to facilitate the understanding of

business dynamics and organizational learning. TBEM model focuses on seven core aspects of

operations: leadership, strategic planning, customer and market focus, measurement, analysis and

knowledge management, human resource focus, process management and business results.

Performance is measured in absolute points; companies have to achieve a minimum of 500

points (out of 1,000) within four years of signing the BEBP agreement. TQMS helps Tata

companies use the model to gain insights on their business strengths and opportunities for

improvement. This is managed through an annual process of assessment and assurance. The

model, through its regular and calibrated updates, is used by Tata companies to stay in step with

the ever changing business environment.5

Diagram 2

Source:tal.co.in/Tata Business Excellence Model

The Road Map of TQM

The road map of TQM started with the strategic intent of the top management to be among

the best and biggest companies of the World by redefining its business priorities,

strategies, management tools and techniques in terms of processes, products, market-

segment, human resource, input materials, plant location, etc. It started with ISO 9001

certification of various manufacturing and later service units. Process Improvements

through Quality Improvement Projects (QIP’s), Value Engineering Projects and Statistical

Process Control projects and Operations Research Projects by managerial teams was

making great contributions in various departments and divisions of the company. Quality

Circles and 5S as strategic tool for employee involvement and improvement were adopted

in all departments of the company. Benchmarking and Business Process Re-engineering

(BPR) emerged as powerful Management Tools in this direction complimenting the TQM

efforts at Tata Steel in terms of continuous improvement in process and practices.

Simultaneously, Concept of Balanced Score Card and Annual Quality Improvements

Plans (AQUIP’s) of various departments were integrated with the TQM strategy.6

Tata Steel CSR Initiatives

Tata group spends the highest among Indian companies on CSR. It spent Rs 1,000 crore on

CSR in 2013-14. A significant amount of the total CSR spend by the Tata Group has gone

into skill development, health and education, with Tata Steel emerging as the biggest

spender within the group. Tata Steel has adopted the Corporate Citizenship Index, Tata
 Business Excellence Model and the Tata Index for Sustainable Development. Tata Steel

spends 5-7 per cent of its profit after tax on several CSR initiatives.

Tata Steel collaborates with Government bodies, NGOs and donor agencies to implement

community initiatives in the thematic areas of livelihoods, health, education, environment

(renewable energy) and women empowerment. The entire gamut of CSR activities are

implemented through the following delivery arms: Corporate Social Responsibility

department comprising Tata Steel Rural Development Society, Tata Steel Family

Initiatives Foundation, Tata Steel Tribal Cultural Society and Tata Steel Skill

Development Society. Moreover, Sports department, Urban Services, Medical Services,

Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, other societies (e.g. Blood Bank, Ardeshir Dalal

Memorial Hospital, Jamshedpur Eye Hospital), Tata Relief Committee and JUSCO also

implement activities serving the needs of communities in the areas of operation.

Sustainability

Sustainability basically refers to the innovative processes that have been included in the

manufacturing process of steel in terms of saving the energy, improving the quality and

durability of steel, launching innovative products which are affordable and less time consuming

and use eco friendly raw material. Two examples of such processes and products have been

given below.

Automotive high strength steel grades manufactured by Tata Steel maintains the safety

standards of vehicles whilst improving fuel efficiency, through light weighting. Value Analysis &

Value Engineering (VAVE) service to the auto majors (Tata Motors) in which cross-functional
teams of both companies work on re-engineering of component design in order to reduce weight

of vehicles. This improves fuel efficiency & less GHG emission.

Nest-in housing solution is an excellent building solution which does not pollute the

environment like cement & brick in the conventional RCC. The house is designed with an

optimum combination of Steel & non Steel material which gives the house an elegant and

attractive look and it can be built within just 9 days including its foundation. The light structured

construction method makes it relatively safer against seismic forces compared to other

conventional houses. The speed of construction may also help individual house builders as well

as Government bodies to complete their various housing projects in time – in disaster areas of

Odisha (cyclone hit), Uttarakhand (flash flood). The Nest-In Bio-toilet is an integrated solution,

commercialized in Financial Year 2012-13, made up of a Bio-toilet system and Nest-In super

structure. It can be installed at any place as it does not require a sewage-line connection for

disposal of waste from toilets. The bio-toilet system is developed under license from DRDO. The

Bio-digester disposes human waste in 100% eco-friendly manner and generates color less,

odorless water and inflammable gas.7

Part-II

Redefining Management Practices in the Digital Age

In this fast changing global economy, businesses require agile, responsive, fast and flexible

processes to ensure outcomes to meet business objective. In this process, business faces

increasing pressure to retain customer base and achieve growth by gaining the competitive

advantage while being the low cost producer with improved quality of service to ensure
sustainable business practices. Business transformation involves integrated and collaborative

approach to leverage technology and drive innovation across different functions of the

organization in an integrated fashion to achieve a common goal.

Digitization as a means of business transformation of business has assumed very important place

in strategic management. In fact, it has become so powerful and sole source of transformation of

business that business transformation has become synonymous with Digital transformation.

Digital transformation (DT) basically refers to the use of technology to radically improve

performance or reach of enterprises. Executives in all industries are using digital advances such

as analytics, mobility, social media and smart embedded devices – and improving their use of

traditional technologies such as ERP– to change customer relationships, internal processes, and

Value propositions. Other executives, seeing how fast digital technology disrupted media

industries in the past decade, know they need to pay attention to changes in their industries now.8

According to N Chandrasekaran “When history looks back at this era, it will be remembered for

the huge technology and digital transformation we are now living through, not the economic

turbulence. The evolution and fast adoption of four powerful technologies such as cloud,

analytics, big data and mobility is transforming cloud computing forever. Every industry process

framework is being redefined and re-imagined by the impact of these technologies. Their use is

not limited to just the enterprise; they are impacting our personal and social lives as well as our

communities and societies.9

Today the digital disruptions are faster than the business leaders anticipated them to be. This is

particularly true in the case of the IT, telecommunication, media and entertainment, retail,
banking and life sciences sectors. In this volatile and dynamic environment, the question really is

this: are businesses prepared to handle such disruptions? Most of the mature economies are

already riding the digital transformation wave. Emerging economies such as India, on the other

hand, are yet to experience the scale of this transformation. The role of digital mobile

technologies is going to encompass many businesses particularly consumer products, health care

and financial services. Social media is another medium to influence entire spectrum of business

activity ranging from product development, and marketing and sales to customer support.

According to a Harvard Business Review survey, close to 80% of global companies already use

or are planning to use social media. Interestingly, the uptake of social media is higher among

Indian organizations than the global average and their counterparts in emerging economies. They

use social media for online monitoring, response management, customer service and lead

generation.10

Analytics is emerging very fast as a tool to improve operational efficiency of business enterprises

particularly the large companies in India as it can help businesses to have a more complete

picture of their customers, products, operations and competitors. According to NASSCOM, the

big data market in India will grow to US$1 billion by 2015. The BFSI, IT/ITeS, media and

entertainment, telecom and pharmaceutical sectors are expected to lead in big data-related

analytics adoption in India.11

In India, cloud services are being used by both the Government (for large initiatives such as

Aadhar card and National Population Register) and businesses engagement and data sharing).

The growing demand for cloud is pushing the need to rethink business architecture; cloud
security and governance risks; licensing agreement with service providers, and the service

management of data. Education, health care, etc., stand to gain immensely by implementing such

services.12

Finally, the Digital India Programme launched by Modi Government, aims to transform India

into a digitally empowered society and knowledge economy by leveraging IT as a growth engine

of new India. The vision of Digital India aims to transform the country into a digitally

empowered society and knowledge economy. The programme will be implemented in phases

from the current year till 2018. The Digital India is transformational in nature and would ensure

that Government services are available to citizens electronically. It would also bring in public

accountability through mandated delivery of government’s services electronically; a Unique ID

and e-Pramaan based on authentic and standard based interoperable and integrated government

applications and data basis.13

Digital Transformation: A Case of Asian Paints

Brief of Asian Paints

Asian Paints is India’s largest paint company and Asia’s third largest paint company, with a

turnover of Rs 127.15 billion and a presence in 17 countries with 23 paint manufacturing

facilities had a modest beginning in 1942. Besides Asian Paints, the group operates around the

world through its subsidiaries Berger International Limited, Apco Coatings, SCIB Paints and

Taubmans.

Asian Paints was included in Forbes Asia’s ‘Fab 50’ list of Companies in Asia Pacific in 2011,

2012 and 2013. Forbes Global magazine USA ranked Asian Paints among the ‘200 Best Small

Companies in the World’ for 2002 and 2003 and presented the 'Best under a Billion' award, to the

company. Asian Paints is the only paint company in the world to receive this recognition. Forbes

has also ranked Asian Paints among the ‘Best under a Billion companies in Asia’ in 2005, 2006

and 2007.

In Decorative paints, Asian Paints is present in all the four segments viz: Interior Wall Finishes,

Exterior Wall Finishes, Enamels and Wood Finishes. It also introduced many innovative concepts

in the Indian paint industry like Color Worlds (Dealer Tinting Systems), Home Solutions

(painting solutions Service), Kids World (painting solutions for kid’s room), Color Next

(Prediction of Color Trends through in-depth research) and Royale Play Special Effect Paints,

just to name a few.14

Digitalization in Asian Paints

Digitalization process in Asian Paints, India’s leading manufacturer of coatings, goes back to

2000 since when it ushered in the process of digitalization in its operations in an incremental

basis. With the digitalization, it has been able to maintain a double digit growth of about 15% per

annum and globalize with increasing efficiency and reducing its impact on the environment. The

motif behind the journey was to reduce debt and increase internal efficiencies. As a part of this

initiative, Asian Paints implemented an enterprise-wide ERP and advanced Supply Chain

Management system. This helped create an enterprise-wide platform that was the basis for

further improvements in sales and customer processes. The change also released working capital

that helped fund acquisitions in emerging markets. Asian Paints gained further efficiencies by

linking subcontractors and suppliers on a B2B portal. In 2003, the firm invested in a CRM

system.

With customers in more than 65 countries and a 25,000+ dealer network, most of Asian Paints’

direct interactions took place with its dealers. Therefore, the company not only needed to

respond to evolving consumer demands and expectations for better service, responsiveness,

consistency and knowledgeable consultancy, it needed to provide exceptional, convenient phone

service to its dealers.

The only way to realistically achieve these goals was to focus on becoming a truly customer-

centric organization. To do that, Asian Paints needed a next-generation customer contact platform

capable of managing both customer and dealer communications, and optimizing agent

productivity and responsiveness.

When selecting a solution provider, Asian Paints did its research. Mr. Deepak Bhosale, Chief

Manager, Systems, explained the company’s decision: While we were researching different

vendors and getting references, the best remarks and kudos were given from customers using

Aspect to organize its customer interactions. Since we wanted a cost-effective way to have

several solutions in our contact center, Aspect was the right choice for us. We needed a little bit

of everything, improved quality interactions, dealer interaction and high operational efficiency.

Working with Aspect to implement a next-generation customer response and dealer management

system, Asian Paints made it easy and convenient for both dealers and customers to do business

with the company from placing quick and convenient orders, to consulting with an expert on

paint color choices.

As a result, Asian Paints achieved measurable successes:

 80% increase in dealer satisfaction, as well as improved customer satisfaction

 40% drop in average call handle time, due to increased visibility into caller’s information

and history

 Improved contact center agent productivity

 Reduced wait time resulting from access issues

 Increased service availability window, leading to an effective 40% reduction in workforce

By improving customer interactions and organizational productivity, Asian Paints hopes to

reinstate customer confidence and build customer loyalty, particularly among customers who had

moved to competing brands during periods of poor customer service.15

In 2010, Asian Paints centralized its order taking process into a single corporate call center.

This change helped the company further improve operational efficiencies and sustain its growth.

In customer-facing processes, the move entailed much more than just creating the call center.

Retailers were encouraged to place orders through the call center, where they could receive a

more consistent service level than they could through the firm’s 100 local depots. Centralized

data also enabled delivery of products to large institutional customer job sites, giving the

company a capability that competitors could not provide. The biggest change resulting from

centralizing order taking was in the way sales people interacted with retailers. Liberated from

routine order collection, the sales team could focus on building stronger relationships. To enable

a more meaningful dialogue between the sales team and each retailer, the company provided

sales people with vital customer data in the field using mobile devices. A roll out of tablet

devices, which is currently underway, will further mobile-enable the sales staff.

Another innovation that took place in Asian Paint is he ‘Your Voice’ blog on their website where

people can interact with the company directly and give feedback. The ‘On line Color Lab’ is an

excellent interaction cum feedback forum which was started last year, where customers discuss

various aspects of the brand with us. This is the unique, first of its kind in India platform which

allows the brand to interact with the customer in the digital space other than the social media.

Technology has been the backbone of innovation at Asian Paints. The Endeavour at our Research

and Technology labs is to provide Technology to solve problems and offer innovative products to

customers. Last year, your Company launched a range of new products offering ‘new’ and

‘comprehensive’ solutions to customers on dampness, undulations and cracks in various

substrates under the ‘Smart Care’ range. Heralding new technology platforms for top end
premium products has been another foray for the Company and most of the top end new products

like ‘Royale Aspira’ and ‘Ultima Protek’ offer unique possibilities to the customers and clearly

stand out to be the best products across the globe.16

Asian Paints’ digital transformation also extended to internal production processes. High growth

in paint demand creates the need to set up new manufacturing plants every three years. Given the

scale and size of these plants, the firm has begun to focus on creating highly automated plants.

Automation has led to greater capability, better quality and stronger safety and environmental

protections. The new plants are fully integrated from an information management perspective.

Data from shop floor control systems and automated warehouses are linked seamlessly to the

ERP. This has helped to further sustain the firm’s operational efficiencies.

In India, Asian Paints has begun to sell services (such as a painted wall) instead of products (a

can of paint). The services strategy has benefits beyond new revenues. Selling services helps to

ensure that high-end products are applied properly, hereby improving customer satisfaction.

Services also help the firm to get closer to the end-consumer, understand core consumer choices,

and launch high-end texture finishes. Additionally, having a contractor in a client’s house yields

information that marketing staff can use to understand both customer preferences and potential

demand. Gaining better knowledge of end-customer preferences is a high priority for the

company, since its business model – operating largely through retailers – means that customer

involvement has been traditionally very low. The relationship between IT and business

executives has traditionally been very strong. The IT team consists of business graduates with a

deep understanding of the underlying business processes. They act as internal process

consultants. Governance is centralized and top down, with a strong executive-level

understanding about the importance of standardization and coordination. Although business

executives suggest many digital investments, IT executives originate others such as the firm’s

new analytics initiative. Corporate growth and new technology demands have increased the

challenges of digital governance. The firm is in the first year of a new portfolio planning process.

“We have enjoyed great equity with the business because we have delivered solutions. But seeing

so many projects coming at us, we felt that now we need to establish processes to match

expectations and resources whilst taking on innovative projects,” says Mr. Manish Choksi, CIO

and Chief of Strategy. Asian Paints’ investment in strong IT capabilities, combined with

organizational and process changes intended to leverage those investments, will serve as a

foundation upon which the organization can continuously envision and implement new forms of

digital transformation.17

Corporate Citizenship

Environment and Safety

Asian Paints approaches the environment issue from the perspective of waste minimization and

conservation of resources. Determined to reuse, recycle and eliminate waste, Asian Paints'

material losses in manufacturing have reduced substantially over the last few years. All the paint

plants and chemical manufacturing plants of Asian Paints have ISO 14001 environmental

certification.
All its paint plants have achieved 'zero industrial discharge' capability. This has been achieved by

the installation of upgraded effluent treatment facilities and installation of reverse osmosis plants

in conjunction with appropriate recycling and reuses schemes. Its emulsion manufacturing

facility has also achieved 'zero waste' status under its "green productivity" practice. Some of

innovative schemes which enhance green productivity are dealer tinting systems which has

resulted in large batch sizes ; bulk storage facility for monomers which reduces wastage; Use of

natural gas which is a cleaner fuel; solvent recovery plants have been set up which has resulted

in zero reduction of solvent disposal; improved incinerating systems and reverse osmosis.

Water management

Fresh water is a limited and scarce resource that’s often taken for granted. Consider this,

according to an MMRDA report, Mumbai’s present water demand, 3026 MLD (Million Litres

Daily) is expected to rise to 7950 MLD by 2011, today the water supply being only 2500 MLD.

Asian Paints has built a Total Water Management (TWM) Centre, at its Bhandup manufacturing

facility, which is a first of its kind in the entire country. Till date Asian Paints has influenced

citizens to harvest over 100 million litres of rain water.

The TWM centre showcases live working models on water conservation and rainwater

harvesting. Asian Paints provides expertise to citizens free of charge to implement Rainwater

harvesting and total water management concepts. The water management schemes could be

designed in phases, so investments are not significant. Also a payback period can be determined

for investments.

Age Care is another focus area by Asian Paints in its CSR activities.
The company had conducted various health camps for the aged. In India, the focus of such health

camps has always been around the plants where the employees reside. Taking this into

consideration, Asian Paints has started MMU (Mobile Medicare Unit) in Kasna, Patancheru &

Ahmedabad. MMU has made it possible to reach the doorsteps of the needy and provide

treatment for various diseases like hypertension, arthritis, diabetes etc. Also, the company had

conducted camps on eye care, dental care, blood checkup among others. Under this project till

now over 100,000 needy senior citizens, providing them with medical care at their door steps

through Mobile Medicare units have been covered.18

Other initiatives: Besides the area of water management and age care, the company also invests

in providing infrastructure support to primary schools. In Ankleshwar – Gujarat, the company

continues to support the “Shree Gattu Vidyalaya” school, which is established along with the

Ankleshwar Industrial Development Society in 1983.

The school today boasts of around 2,500 students in primary as well as secondary sections and

the plant has sustained its commitment of providing infrastructure support to this school, be it

through donations of computers, tables and chairs, or through assistance in other maintenance

work for the school.

In addition, the Ankleshwar plant has also taken up the cause of improving the health and

hygiene situation of schools in nearby villages. An eye camp was organized in association with

SEWA rural a renowned institution in eye treatment , during this camp 416 were examined , 72

patients were treated for cataract surgery , 13 for other eye ailments , 250 spectacles were

distributed to needy elderly citizens.19

In Sriperumbudur (South India), the plant is also treading on similar lines and has taken up the

task of improving facilities in the neighborhood primary schools. It presented the Pondur primary

school with desks, tables & a PA system and even school bags for the students.

Conclusion:

Business Excellence and sustainable development have become the part of the core strategy of

reputed companies in the world and India is no exception to it. In fact, these two core concerns

have helped companies to build their brands. Two such companies which have been discussed

through this paper are Tata Steel and Asian Paints. The former with a history of more than a

century is a marvel with a DNA of business excellence and sustainability and have achieved

accolades all over the world for producing quality steel at a lowest cost with its cutting edge

technology and serving the communities and environment not for the sake of any regulatory

compliance but by intent and conscious choice has been unparallel. Its record on account of

sustainability particularly in terms of undertaking community services and producing eco-

friendly quality products has been praiseworthy. Asian Paints, a giant in the paint industry took

recourse to digitisation as a tool of competitive advantage in terms of acquisition of customers

and owning their loyalty which in turn has given it double digit growth with huge profit for more

than a decade and which has offered it to take initiatives in the realm of community services and

eco-friendly processes. All in all, business excellence with an eye on 3 Ps, as demonstrated by

the cases of these two companies has been a win-win strategy for all the stakeholders and it is
expected that in the times to come, companies who believe in sustainable growth and long term

survival will take a leaf from the track record of these companies and will succeed in their

endeavour.

Note: These two cases have been majorly drawn from the secondary sources such as books,

annual reports of the companies, consulting firm’s reports, credit rating agencies, journals and

websites of the companies and press reports. Our contribution lies in the fact that we have

constructed a design and architecture to the paper with a clear cut perspective and has woven the

story around the same.

References

1. Schmidt Eric, Cohen Jared: “The New Digital Age-Reshaping the future of people, nations
and business” Brilliance Corp; MP3 Una edition (8 April 2014)

2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Best_practice

3. http://www.thehackettgroup.com/best-practices

4. (www.tatasteel.com/press releases

5. (Kailash R. Anekar:CSR Drive of TATA Group, IOSR Journal of Business and

Managemen, p.44)

6. Dr. K.K.Garg, Pranav Mishra, Sumit Sehrawat:The Quest for Excellence: A Case Study
of TQM Practice in Tata Steel, Opinion: International Journal of Management , Vol. 3,
No. 1, June 2013

7. Tata Steel Annual Report 2013-14:www.tatasteel.com/annual report-2013-14

8. (www.capgemini.com/Digital transformation:A Road Map For Billion-Dollar
Organizations)

9. http://www.tata.com/media/interviewsinside – N chandrasekaran CEO TCS

10. advisoryindiablog.ey.com/.../driving-businesses-through-digital-transfor..April 21, 2014

11. ibid

12. ibid

13. pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=108926, Aug 20,2011

14. http://www.asianpaints.com/company-info/about-us/corporate-information.aspx

15. http://blogs.aspect.com/category/insideaspect/case-studies
16. (www.asianpints.com/Annul Report 2013-14)

17. Capgemini Consulting: Digital Transformation: A Road Map for Billion-Doollar

Orgnizations: MIT center for Digital Business and Capgemini consulting 2011 pp 14-15

18. www.karmayog.org/CSR/

19. ibid