TAS was conceived in 1956 by the then Chairman of the Tata Group, JRD Tata. The aim of the program was to create a leadership pipeline of talented leaders and visionaries who would guide and direct the companies in the Group, and make them more able, consolidating and contributing to the goal of nation-building. TAS provides unique cross-functional opportunities across industries, domains and verticals, along with international exposure through positions in various geographies across the globe, leading to professional development, growth and lifelong mobility. It provides these young individuals opportunities to meet and interact with top leadership in the corporate world. It is, in a nutshell, a fast track program for high potential individuals for career growth and leadership development. There exist multiple avenues of training and mentorship to equip these individuals with skills to take on the rigors of various industries, and challenging situations across portfolios and platforms. The environment in the program is one of adaptation and change, so that the young talent is allowed to expand its breadth and perspective, keeping in mind the organizational and individual needs.
As a first step, the new recruits are put through a month-long induction program at the Tata Management Training Centre (TMTC), Pune, called Group Orientation and Learning (GOAL). The induction involves a glimpse at the various sectors that the Tata Group is involved in, the business strategies and financial goals. GOAL also gives the recruits an opportunity to interact with the top executives of the Group. The key drive behind GOAL is to expose these young future managers of the Tata Group to world-class business practices, and to further their learning. They are given an opportunity to visit the various facilities, manufacturing units and research facilities of the various companies, and gain an insight into their working and processes.
After the induction, the new recruits are given a series of short-term projects and assignments, which are in diverse industries and verticals across geographies. The key rationale behind the first year assignments is to build perspective and develop knowledge about the working and functioning of the Group and its companies. Quite a few of these assignments involve community improvement as its primary goal, and hence these are called “community stints” within the organization. Some of these projects involve working in close association with NGOs operating in those areas, and teaches the skill of collaboration and patience to the young managers. It enriches a person’s view of the world, and builds empathy and confidence, both vital qualities in individuals being groomed to take on leadership positions in one of the world’s largest and most diverse group of companies.
Another key component of the first year at TAS involves development interventions in the form of review and feedback sessions, and allows these young managers to consult senior managers in the Group and be mentored by them. These development interventions also involve training programs to hone skills, and cover weaknesses revealed by the review and feedback sessions.
At the end of the first year, these managers are assigned roles across group companies, where they are expected to serve for at least 2 years. TAS managers are encouraged by the Group to change roles before the end of 5 years, so as to allow them to gain breadth as well as depth in various business roles and functional domains. TAS managers are trained and mentored keeping individual and company goals in mind, thereby allowing the Group to have a ready pipeline of young, enthusiastic and well-trained managers ready to take on executive positions across various Group verticals and companies as and when the need arises. Thus, the succession planning mechanism at the Tata Group is truly impressive, as it captures needs, expectations and goals of all stakeholders involved, while keeping the strategic perspective and bottom-line in mind at all times.