V. J. Rao, group vice president (learning) and director, Tata Management Training Centre in conversation with Sean Davidson

How has your journey with the Tata Group been thus far?
I’ve been working for four years [with the group] and they have been four wonderful years, especially because I have had two significant assignments during this period. For two years I was with Tata Consultancy Services [TCS] as head of HR and that had its own challenges in terms of dealing with software engineers and global operations.

Just when I thought I was settling in at TCS I got this opportunity to move into group HR and the Tata Management Training Centre (TMTC). I have spent the last two years here. It has been a wonderful experience in terms of doing something significant for the group while being based at TMTC. We've been trying to significantly improve the level of training and development activities that have been going on at TMTC.

Later this year I will be looking at training and development in various Tata Group companies. So far I’ve been concentrating on TMTC; now I’ll be assessing what’s happening in the rest of the group. We’ll be trying to bring Tata companies up to certain standards.

Did you have any apprehensions when joining the group?
When I joined TCS I was making my first move from the manufacturing industry to a service oriented industry. I had been an HR guy in manufacturing all my life, so I was a little apprehensive. I was dealing with a large number of knowledge workers spread across the world. Luckily, the person who brought me to TCS was from one of my former organisations; I knew I would kind of fit in. I had studied at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and I had always wondered whether I would get to work in a Tata company someday. When the opportunity arose I seized it.

How would you describe the exposure the group has given you?
I have been exposed to really diverse experiences in these two assignments. The benefit of working for Asia’s largest IT services company [TCS] was that I was dealing with best-in-class clients from around the world. We had superior quality systems (I was part of the team that helped TCS get rated at PCMM Level 4, a global first). We were involved with the best consultants, Stern Stewart, who set up modern practices in the industry. So a quick exposure to the best in the world was what I instantly got.

At TMTC I got exposure to the best of the world from a different perspective. I have been interacting with professors from Harvard, Michigan and several other institutes of repute. Meanwhile, we have been striving to provide world-class training to Tata managers.

How would you describe the opportunities the Tata Group offers to its employees?
The opportunities are tremendous and they are increasing now. A few years ago there was no formal process by which things like moving from one company to another could happen. But today that process exists within group HR and it actually strives to identify the good guys. You have initiatives like the ‘people panning process’ and the ‘individual development plan’, where group HR is actually identifying top performers from each of the big companies, keeping track of them, and putting them into slots wherever they are available.

If you look at the Tata spread you realise that we are into all the modern areas that one would want to work in. Whether it’s information technology, telecommunications and the like, or the more traditional manufacturing sector, we are in it all in a big way. Which means we can offer all of it to any aspirant who comes in. I think a real fast tracker in the Tatas has the opportunity to work in the most diverse spread of industries available in any organisation anywhere in the world.

What are your thoughts on the Tata way of life?
On the outside I don’t think my life has changed significantly. It has been quite a bit of work, work and work. TCS was a worldwide operation, with demands made by people day and night. Add to that the different time zones and talking to the US made it a round-the-clock job. But, at the same time, there has been a lot of support from my family.

Coming to Pune has made a big difference because now I have more time with my family and the chance to be more flexible with my work. Proximity to the office and the smallness of Pune have allowed me to do much more here than I could have done elsewhere.

What values has the group brought to your life?
I’ve been fortunate enough to work with extremely good organisations — Hindustan Lever, Cadbury India and GE — before joining the Tatas. All of these companies were ethically strong. I would not say it has been totally different after coming here, but it has been reinforced.

What has changed for me is the fact that I get to visit the Tata Archives, which is in the TMTC premises. I read what J. R. D. Tata wrote and the letters he received; it has been a strong, positive influence to carry on the good work that the group has done. JRD’s approach to institutions, life and the country — it’s fantastic.

Uploaded on August 25 2003