In an exclusive conversation with Times Now Digital, Harish Bijoor, Business & Brand Strategy Guru & Founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc. shares his thoughts on the next phase at the Tata Group. Given below is the full interview. Q. Ratan Tata’s leadership became almost inseparable from the Tata brand itself. As the Group moves into a new era, how can Noel Tata and the next generation of leadership carry forward that legacy without simply trying to replicate Ratan Tata’s style? A. Every era in the life of a corporate enterprise has a different set of challenges. The business environment around you changes all the while. As do governance norms. There are pressures that are societal, political, economic and religious even. Each of these change. That is indeed the beauty of life and business. Q. Noel Tata now finds himself at the centre of the Tata Group’s future at a particularly important moment. From a brand and leadership perspective, what should be his biggest priorities in shaping the next chapter of the Tata story? A. The future is staring very clearly ahead of the Tata Group. The key questions will need a big scale value analysis on questions of importance. Have you invested right to date? Must you remain invested? Must you divest emotion from the practicality aspects that stare back at you? Where must you invest anew? How is the biggest cash cow of Tata Sons, TCS, ready to tackle the AI era ahead? Are the key business leverages in place? How is the Tata digital plan going? Is there a lag out here as opposed to competitor movements in this space? These are quick questions that need quick answers from Noel Tata and the new Tata Sons leadership ahead. Q. The Tata brand has traditionally stood for trust, values and institution-building rather than just business success. How important will it be for the Group to protect this intangible legacy as it becomes increasingly global, technology-driven and commercially aggressive? A. In the business environment of this country, now for the past 158 years, there has been the "Tata-way" of doing business and "every other way"! This is the hallmark differential of the Tata Group. This cannot and must not be compromised by the group. I do believe Noel Tata will protect it. Tata Sons is a Tata jewel. It's way is a unique way. It is soft branding at its best. The Tata Group discovered "purpose" decades before the word entered the lexicon of global business. This intangible legacy is its biggest tangible at large! Q. The question of succession at Tata Sons has attracted considerable attention. How important is it for the Group to strike the right balance between the Tata family/trusts and professional management while ensuring continuity in decision-making? A. This is a tough time for the Group. Many challenges ahead. And many to come. As the leadership decision coalesces sooner than later, whoever is brought in to fit the big shoes left behind by titans and achievers, Chandra being the latest, needs to be a radical and a pacifist combined. The backend needs a pacifist and the front end needs a radical. This Oxymoron style of leadership is a difficult find. Not an impossible one though. Q. Tata has businesses ranging from technology and automobiles to aviation, consumer products and infrastructure. Do you see the Group needing a sharper, more unified brand strategy in the post-Ratan Tata era, or is the strength of the Tata brand precisely its ability to operate across such diverse sectors? A. The real strength of the Tata Group is its ability to do a diverse set of businesses and manage it all well with profit for all concerned, the consumer of the B2B and B2C kind included. Diversity in unity is its business model. Q. Looking ahead over the next decade, what would success look like for Noel Tata and the Tata Group — and what will determine whether the Tata legacy remains as powerful and relevant to younger generations as it has been for decades? A. Success ahead for the Group for a start would mean a Chairman for the Group with a 10-year play ahead. Success also means tough decisions taken swiftly without being clouded by emotion. Success would mean continuing to allow the "Tata way" to thrive as a culture within and without, never mind the fact that 2026 is a ruthless year. When everyone else is practicing "every other way", can Tata remain Tata? With over 11 years in broadcast media, Amatya Kalia specializes in guest outreach, stakeholder engagement, and high-impact event programming, working ... View More