Chandra to begin job as chairman

Mumbai, Feb. 20: Tata group will enter a new era on Tuesday as N Chandrasekaran takes over as chief, hoping to put behind an acrimonious boardroom battle that saw the ouster of Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons Chairman.

Popularly known as 'Chandra', the 54-year-old will be the first non-Parsi chairman of the 150-year old Tata Group.

A man known for making India's largest software exporter TCS what it is today, Chandrasekaran has his task cut out as the new chairman of Tata Sons — the promoter firm of many of the operating Tata group firms.

Last week, he had described his new assignment as “a very big job” with a large canvas, where there were “challenges and opportunities”. He had hoped that he could “make an impact and make a difference”.

As he steps into the role of the head of the $103 billion conglomerate, many immediate pressing issues will greet him.

One of his major focus areas will be the European operations of Tata Steel, particularly in the UK which has become a drag to the group after the unsuccessful acquisition of Corus.

While Tata Steel has already started selling assets in the UK, Chandra will have to decide how much assets are to be put on the block and how much could be turned around, especially keeping in mind the implications of Brexit.

Chandrasekaran, however, had hinted at what he'll do when he said on the evening of his appointment in January that Tata Sons did pioneering businesses and stood by the operating businesses in “good times and more importantly, in bad times.”