WHEN THE REFURBISHED Bombay House opened its doors on July 29, 2018, it marked another moment in history for the iconic headquarters of the Tata group. The new had not replaced the old. Instead, the conventional core received a contemporary brush, with high-tech offices, a digitally enhanced visitor experience centre, doors that open with the touch of a finger, and a cool Starbucks outlet, too. The structure from the British era, which was completed in 1924, retains its neo-classical look. Yet, it is in touch with the times. The evolution of the Tata group itself is not very different. The conglomerate, which began life in 1868 as a private trading firm founded by Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, and then moved into hotels, steel, automobiles, power, IT, financial services, retail and a myriad other businesses over the past century and more, now readies itself for a new world shaken frequently by large doses of disruption. Yet, there are exciting opportunities that emanate from that very disruption, which could further propel the transformation of the 155-year-young conglomerate.
Spearheading this unique transformation is Natarajan Chandrasekaran, 59, a soft-spoken man who takes tough decisions easily. There is an easy informality to the persona of the seventh Chairman of Tata Sons, borne perhaps of his software background—he insists on being called Chandra during his interaction with for this story—but there is nothing informal or easy about the task he has before him, or about what he has overcome thus far. His story at the top of the Tata group began as a surprise appointment in February 2017 following one of corporate India’s biggest scraps—a boardroom battle that saw erstwhile chairman Cyrus Mistry (since deceased) being ousted followed by an acrimonious court battle and slanging matches. The markets were jittery, and the group’s direction seemed unsure. But Chandrasekaran, once appointed and settled, changed it all. “He brought in the much-needed calm, and markets immediately recognised that under his leadership, the group was in
