Chandra's first year scorecard: Tata Sons Chairman settles legacy issues in telecom, steel and auto sectors

N Chandrasekaran completes one year at the helm of $100 billion salt-to-software conglomerate Tata group. He took over reins when the group was going through turbulent times - the European steel business was bleeding; Indian telecom arm was accumulating losses; and automobile business was losing market share. In addition, the group has been fighting a legal battle against its ousted chairman Cyrus Mistry. Chandrasekaran addressed some of the legacy issues of the group companies and some are pending - like turnaround of Mundra Ultra Mega Power Plant (UMPP) and the loss making Nano car business. Business Today goes through the major decisions of the Tata group companies during the first year of Chandrasekaran, who is known the business circles as Chandra.

Telecom & Communication

Settled the $1.2bn legal dispute with NTT DoCoMo, clearing the way for the Japanese to exit its stake in Tata Tele.

Agreed to merge mobile services business with Bharti Airtel in no-debt and no-cash deal.

For paying the telecom debts, the board of Tata Teleservices Maharashtra (TTML) approved fund-raising of up to Rs 20,000 crore.

The board of Tata Sons approved fund infusion of Rs 36,400 crore in group companies and a large portion of it was for deleveraging the Tata Tele balance sheet.

Tata Communications approved demerger of around 773 acres of surplus land to a separate company and listing it subsequently.

Steel

Agreed to merge Tata Steel's European business with German company ThyssenKrupp's business in the region.

Tata Steel board approved a rights issue of Rs12,800 crore, partly to fund the Kalinganagar plant expansion by 5 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 8 MTPA.

Tata Steel reportedly submitted the largest bid for Bhushan Steel and Bhushan Power and Steel. The combined financial commitment is over Rs 60,000 crore.

Tata Steel's Q3 profit jumped 5-fold to Rs 1,136 crore.

Automobile

Tata Motors' market share in the passenger vehicle (PV) segment rose to 6 percent from an all-time low of 5.2 percent. In commercial vehicles, Tata Motors' market share, rose to 47 percent from 44.4 percent.

Tata Motors' reported profits for the first time in five quarters, in the quarter ended December. A profit of Rs 184 crore Vs a loss of Rs 1,052 crore in the same quarter last year.

Introduced flat hierarchy in Tata Motors, shrinking the 14-layer middle management into 5-layer. Cut down 1500 jobs and cut salaries of top executives.

Launched two passenger cars - Tigor and Nexon - in the last one  year.

IT & ITES

TCS has become the second Indian firm to cross Rs 6 lakh crore market capitalization.

TCS won two big contracts - Nielsen Holdings ($2.25 billion) and Transamerica Life Insurance Co. ($2 billion). It formed Internet of Things digital transformation partnership with Rolls-Royce.

TCS did its largest Rs 16,000 crore share buy back.

Aviation

Expressed the interest to buy debt-ridden PSU Air India.

Group

Combined value of 22 listed Tata entities grew by Rs 1,45,000 crore in the last one year. TCS, Tata Steel, Titan, Tata Global Beverages and Tata Chemicals outperformed the indices.

Tata Sons bought Tata Steel's Rs 3,800 crore worth stake in Tata Motors.

Tata Sons bought cross-holdings in Tata Global Beverages and Tata Chemicals for Rs 1,458 crore.

People

Tata Sons appointed Saurabh Agrawal as group chief financial officer.

Tata Sons appointed Aarthi Subramanian as Chief Digital Officer.

Indian Hotels appointed Puneet Chhatwal as MD and CEO.

Tata Capital appointed Rajiv Sabharwal as CEO and MD.

Banmali Agrawala appointed as President of Infrastructure and Defence & Aerospace vertical.

Tata Power CEO and Managing Director Anil Sardana quit 3 yrs before end of term.

Tata Housing CEO and MD Brotin Banerjee resigned.