The Tata Group on Sunday re-opened iconic Bombay House - its global headquarters in Mumbai. Built in 1924, the 94-year-old heritage building has undergone refurbishment and restoration for the first time in its history. Marking the 114th birth anniversary of its former Chairman JRD Tata, Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata inaugurated the building in the presence of current chairman N Chandrasekaran.
Bombay House was built on the two plots of land bought by Sir Dorabji Tata, the group's second Chairman and Jamsetji Tata's elder son, from the Bombay Municipality in 1920. The building was designed by the well-known architect, George Wittet, who was also the architect of the Gateway of India, the Prince of Wales Museum - now called Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Tata Group said: "The fresh look, both in terms of aesthetics and functionalities, reflects the changing workplace at the Tata group - open, agile, future-focused and yet deeply connected to its rich heritage. Further, the new office space wears a modern look with well-designed common and collaborative spaces to meet the requirements of business today."
To mark the character of the iconic building, the group has built a grand entrance. "Each floor has been designed with agile workspaces and semi-formal collaboration zones for teams to work together. Enhanced natural lighting, and the paintings, photographs and art installations that adorn the walls have created a vibrant environment for employees and visitors," the group said.
The ground floor has been converted into a shared space housing a coffee lounge, informal breakout places, and the Tata Experience Centre (TXC). TXC, a digital museum, is aimed at giving visitors an experience into the world of Tata using digital technologies for effective storytelling.
In a first for Bombay House, a kennel has been created for the canine friends who have been an integral part of the building for decades. The four floors of the building house offices of major Tata organisations. The historic boardroom on the fourth floor has been restored to its original beauty with only technology being a new addition.
Speaking on the occasion, Tata Sons Chairman said, "It's a historic occasion and a great tribute to reopen the new Bombay House on JRD Tata birth anniversary. The renovation of this 94-year-old heritage building, the first in its history, has revolved around designing for the employees a more modern, collaborative and informal workplace equipped with the best of technologies and security systems."
Ratan Tata later praised Chandrasekaran and said that he was confident "Tata Group is in safe hands." Tata said this after hearing Chandra's presentation on the performance of the Tata group of companies.