N. Chandrasekaran took over as the new chairman of Tata Sons in Mumbai on Tuesday, becoming the first non-Parsi to be at the helm of the conglomerate.
A computer engineer with a long stint with TCS, this elevation of Chandrasekaran or Chandra as he is informally called, has made Jamshedpur, the city of the Tatas, upbeat.
Many Jamshedpureans know that Chandrasekaran, born in a small Tamil Nadu town called Mohanur, has a close link with the steel city. His wife Lalitha is from Jamshedpur and studied in Sacred Heart Convent School where she completed her Class X in 1980.
"Lalitha Chandrasekaran grew up in Jamshedpur. Both her father and grandfather had worked in Tata Steel," Pradipta Bagchi, a TCS communications officer, told this reporter over phone from Mumbai.
So, that makes Chandrasekaran Jamshedpur's damaad, which adds a personal touch to the congratulations.
"I am elated," said Rajani Shekhar, the principal of DBMS English School, a year junior to Lalitha. "I called her up and wished her after Mr Chandrasekaran was named the chairman of Tata Sons," she added.
Rakeshwar Pandey, a veteran trade union leader who heads 35 companies (including Tata group companies), said the new chairman was selected purely based on merit and performance. "We are optimistic that under his able leadership all Tata companies will reach new heights," said Pandey.
R. Ravi Prasad, president of Tata Workers' Union, said the new chairman had several challenges ahead.
"First and foremost he has to turn around all loss-making companies in the group. As he successfully managed TCS and is aware of Tata values and ethos, we hope he is certainly able to guide the group in the right direction."
The MSME sector at Adityapur, Seraikela-Kharsawan, also sounded optimistic. "We have lot of expectations from the new Tata Sons chairman. Tata Motors ancillaries in Adityapur aren't doing well. We hope MSMEs flourish under his able direction," said Santosh Khaitan, general secretary of Adityapur Small Industries Association (ASIA), the largest and the oldest industry outfit of the state.
"We wish the new chairman all the very best. It's nice that someone who understands the Tata group and is in sync with his colleagues is at the helm of affairs. We hope the new chairman carries forward the legacy of his predecessors. It will benefit the local trade, industry, society and the steel city at large," added Bharat Vasani, a senior functionary of Singhbhum Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).
James Davis, a former head of corporate services and HR at Tinplate, and a Jamshedpur old-timer, said it was the first time in the 150-year-old history of Tata group that the chairman was a non-Parsi. "As the TCS chief, he had steered the IT company to a new height. We hope he brings in new perspective and take the group forward at a faster pace," Davis said.
Chandrasekaran and Lalitha will come to Jamshedpur for Founder's Day celebrations on March 3, confirmed Tata Steel's corporate affairs and communications department.
