Part-one - Ratan Tata- Chiseling The Destiny Of Tata Motors Ltd

TML, the largest automobile company in south Asia, is the leader in commercial vehicles and amongst the top three in passenger vehicles, producing passenger cars, trucks, vans and coaches. Tata Motors is the fourth largest manufacturer of trucks and the second largest bus manufacturer in the world. The company has produced and sold more than four million vehicles in India since 1954.

Tata Motors Ltd, with total assets valued at US$ 23.131 billion and total equity of US$ 4.683 billion, earned net profits of US$1.653 billion over revenues of US$ 27.629 billion during 2010-2011. The company employs 53,151 employees currently.

The vehicles of TML are produced at its auto manufacturing and assembly plants in Jamshedpur, Pantnagar, Lucknow, Sanand, and Pune in India. In the overseas market, the manufacturing units of the company are located in Argentina, South Africa, Thailand and the United Kingdom. Initially, Tata Motors Ltd started manufacturing commercial vehicles in 1954 in association with Daimler-Benz AG of Germany. The partnership came to an end in 1969.
Ratan Tata, the present Chairman of the Tata Group, one of the largest business conglomerates in India, has created waves and hit the headlines, attracting media attention for various reasons. The man has been honored by the Government of India with the prestigious Padma Bhushan commemorating the event of the 50th Republic day of India on 26th January 2000. The honour was followed by the Padma Vibhushan in 2008 and the KBE (Knight of the British Empire) in 2009. He was a recipient of many honorary doctorates / fellowships from Ohio State University, AIT Manila, University of Warwick, LSE, Cambridge University, IIT Kharagpur and Pepperdine University.

Ratan Tata is currently the Chairman of Tata Sons, the promoter holding company of the Tata Group since 1991. He is also the chairman of Tata Motors , Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Power, Tata Global Beverages, Tata Chemicals, Indian Hotels and Tata Teleservices. Under the reign of Ratan Tata, Tata Consultancy Services went public and Tata Motors Ltd (TML) got listed in the New York Stock Exchange. The vision of Ratan Tata to manufacture a cost effective Rupees one-lakh car for the common man in India came true with the launch of the Nano in 2006. Tata Indica, the highly successful brand of Tata Motors Ltd was the exclusive brainchild of Ratan Tata. The revenues of the group swelled up to over $83 billion as on 2010-2011, after he took over the helm, especially after the liberalization of controls after the 1990s.

The Tata Group currently operates in advanced composites, aerospace, agricultural products and tools, agro chemicals and seeds, contract services, automobiles space including commercial vehicles, diesel and passenger cars, beverages including coffee and tea and water, publishing and distribution, chemicals, defense, design, e-learning, engineering consultancy and design, financial services including credit cards, insurance, mutual funds and other services, food products, telecom and wood products amongst others. In 2010, the Tata group overtook all competition to be voted with the coveted title of "India's Most Valuable Brand" in an annual survey conducted by Brand Finance and The Economic Times.

Ratan Tata has named Mr Cyrus Mistry, the 42-year old son of Pallonji Mistry and the managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji Group as his successor to the Tata empire, after he retires in December 2012.