The Tata Business Leadership Award (TBLA), initiated in 2002, is an annual business school event organised by the Tata Group. It offers students from premier business schools a unique opportunity to compete with the brightest and display their business acumen. The schools that were invited to participate in the event this year were IIM Ahmedabad, IIM Bangalore, IIM Calcutta, IIM Lucknow, SPJain Mumbai, FMS Delhi and XLRI Jamshedpur — premiere schools from which Tata Administrative Services (TAS) recruits. TBLA 2006 witnessed participation by over 1,000 students representing approximately 300 teams from the aforementioned seven business schools.

The students (in teams of three to four) are required to identify a business opportunity that has been less explored especially in emerging markets are given a strategic problem or situation relevant to the Tata Group. In the preliminary round, conducted on respective campuses, shortlisted teams make a presentation to senior managers of the Group and defend their business proposition. The defence is evaluated on parameters such as creativity, clarity, relevance and business value.

The participating teams in TBLA 2006 were required to focus on the 'Bottom of the pyramid' constituting an opportunity space that challenges innovation in crafting a value proposition, corresponding business model and strategy that will enable the creation of value in new ways. The winning team from each campus proceeds to represent its campus in the final round which is held at the Tata Management Training Centre in Pune and is judged by emminent Harvard professors and senior business leaders of the Tata Group.

The award underlines the commitment of the Tata Group towards promoting and encouraging future leaders. It is also an endeavour to create awareness among management students of the Tata brand.

The TBLA 2006 National Winners walked away with an attractive TBLA Rolling Trophy — specially designed by Titan plus Rs 40,000 and other attractive gifts from Titan, Tanishq and Taj Hotels while the first national runners up and second national runners up received prizes of Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000 respectively.