| WE are back
with the latest edition of ET500. And keeping up with our tradition, we
have re-invented the product to keep it interesting and contemporary.
In 2007, we changed the ranking parameters to make it simpler and bring
it in line with the globally accepted definition of size, i.e. sales.
This year, we switch our focus to people and companies that are leading
the change in India Inc. This may surprise our readers who are used to
reading number-based stories. The switch, however, is deliberate. India
Inc is passing through one of the greatest transformations of all times
and numbers can only take us that far. Most often, they fail to capture
the human element, which is at the centre stage of this new paradigm.
India Inc has adopted the new growth mantra of ‘globalisation’.
While this sounds like a cliché, the current phase is unlike
the past ones, when domestic companies stepped outside India’s
borders either to gain technology or know-how or to become low-cost
exporters to western companies. This wave is about creating a global
footprint. It’s not about being a mere appendage to a western
or Japanese conglomerate; it’s about being an independent company
in the global arena by playing on its strengths.
And there can be no better place to begin this discovery than the Bombay
House, the unassuming headquarters of the Tata Group. Since it has redefined
the way Indian companies look at globalisation, it was but natural for
us to devote a relatively larger space to the group. We began our journey
with Alan Rosling, Tata Sons’ executive director, who spoke about
the business rationale of the group’s recent moves. We also caught
up with Tata Group’s HR head, Satish Pradhan, to understand the
softer issues involved in the integration processes. We then turned
our attention to individual companies — Tata Chemicals and Tata
Communications — to get their side of the story.
However, this doesn’t mean there’s no action outside Bombay
House. We also met up with Gautam Thapar, who took us through the globalisation
journey of the Avantha Group (formerly LM Thapar Group). To improve
our understanding of the group’s strategy, we met SM Trehan, MD,
Crompton Greaves, a flagship company of the group.
It’s always a challenge to implement a new idea and we faced
lots of them while putting together this issue. However, it was worth
the effort, as this gave us a new insight into India Inc and its leaders.
We hope you’ll feel the same way while going through this edition.
Do visit our website www.etintelligence.com for other value-added tables
and data related to ET500 companies.
krishna.kant@timesgroup.com
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