September 2025 | 2074 words | 8-minute read
One Tata Disaster Response
TSG, established by Tata Group, has been pivotal in disaster management, disbursing over 200 crore to aid disaster survivors. It functions collaboratively across Tata companies, leveraging their resources and expertise. Since its first involvement in the 1934 Bihar earthquake, Tata has systematically enhanced its disaster response capabilities, culminating in the formation of TSG in 2014 with a dedicated team. TSG's framework prioritizes the vulnerable, coordinating state-specific Tata companies to lead responses. It also involves training and capacity building with local volunteers and stakeholders. The framework is supported by Tata's in-house capabilities and partnerships, ensuring effective and timely disaster response and relief efforts.
One Tata Disaster Response
The Tata Group has a long-standing commitment to disaster response, with its first recorded effort during the 1934 Bihar earthquake. The Tata Relief Committee (TRC) was established in 1967 to formalize this commitment, and in 2014, the Tata Sustainability Group (TSG) was formed to enhance disaster management capabilities. TSG, with a dedicated Disaster Management team, coordinates the One Tata disaster response across various Tata companies, leveraging their local presence and expertise.
TSG has developed a robust Disaster Response Framework that prioritizes the vulnerable, including the elderly, disabled, and socially disadvantaged groups. This framework involves Tata companies that have significant operations in affected states leading the response efforts. These companies collaborate closely with local authorities and other stakeholders to manage logistics and engage in capacity building during non-crisis periods.
The response phase is handled by a team of project managers and procurement officers from various Tata companies, who are trained and ready to deploy at short notice. They undergo intensive training programs designed by national disaster management institutes, focusing on practical and theoretical knowledge.
TSG's efforts are supported by an app-based system for family profiling and relief distribution, and an IT platform for grant management. The inherent capabilities of Tata companies in infrastructure, medical services, and logistics play a crucial role in the effective delivery of relief efforts.
Additionally, TSG is proactive in disaster risk reduction, working with Tata's CSR community to integrate risk reduction in projects. This includes environmental conservation efforts like mangrove planting in Odisha to mitigate cyclone impacts.
Overall, TSG's structured and collaborative approach across Tata companies exemplifies a comprehensive strategy for disaster management and risk reduction, aiming to minimize the impact on affected communities and foster resilience.
One Tata Disaster Response
Since its inception, TSG has been pivotal in orchestrating Tata Group’s disaster response initiatives, disbursing over `200 crore across 20 relief operations to aid disaster survivors. Chacko Thomas, the Group Chief Sustainability Officer at Tata Sons, highlights the collaborative efforts of multiple Tata companies in these endeavors, each contributing funds and expertise.
The Tata Group’s commitment to disaster relief traces back to 1934 during the Bihar earthquake. This legacy continued with the establishment of the Tata Relief Committee (TRC) in 1967, tasked with managing responses to natural and man-made disasters. In 2014, TSG was formed to enhance these efforts, focusing on building capabilities and coordinating disaster responses across the conglomerate.
TSG’s Disaster Response Framework is designed to prioritize support for vulnerable groups including the elderly, single women-led households, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and socially disadvantaged communities. Tata companies with significant local presence take the lead in their respective states, ensuring effective communication and logistics management by liaising with local authorities and other stakeholders.
The operational structure during disasters includes a cadre of project managers and procurement officers drawn from various Tata companies, who are ready to respond at a moment’s notice and can be deployed for up to 45 days in challenging conditions. Their training involves intensive induction courses and periodic refresher programs developed in collaboration with reputed institutes, focusing on both theoretical knowledge and practical field training.
In addition to internal resources, TSG collaborates with local volunteers and community first responders to enhance their on-ground response capabilities. Their strategies involve meticulous planning and regular drills with state disaster response platforms to refine emergency actions and improve crisis response procedures. An IT platform supports these efforts by facilitating efficient relief distribution and grant management.
TSG leverages the inherent capabilities of Tata Group companies, which provide logistical, technical, and infrastructural support during disasters. This includes sourcing relief materials, restoring essential services, and deploying medical teams to affected areas. Recently, TSG is exploring partnerships with entities like BigBasket to streamline relief distribution in urban disaster scenarios.
Central to TSG’s mission are the twin pillars of People and Planet, reflecting their commitment to disaster management as a means to positively impact both. The integration of disaster risk reduction into the CSR initiatives of Tata companies is crucial for safeguarding developmental gains and enhancing community resilience.
The three key phases of TSG’s disaster response include Rescue, Relief, and Rehabilitation. Each phase focuses on immediate survival needs, gradual recovery, and long-term community rebuilding respectively. Depending on the disaster’s magnitude, responses are led by either TSG or individual Tata companies with strong local presences.
TSG’s efforts are recognized in the Global Assessment Report by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, aligning with the Sendai Framework. This acknowledgment underscores the importance of systematic planning and comprehensive risk reduction measures in mitigating disaster impacts.
Overall, the synergy among Tata companies under the One Tata initiative, bolstered by the addition of new members like Tata 1mg and Air India, continues to strengthen their collective disaster response capabilities, demonstrating a robust model of corporate responsibility and humanitarian aid.
Erathish Kumar, of Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district, recalls the night of July 30, 2024, when death and destruction rained down from the skies. A landslide had struck the nearby village of Mundakkai after a long spell of heavy rainfall, affecting 60+ tribal villages. The disaster exacted a high toll — over 453 dead and more than 50 people missing.
As news of the impact spread, the Disaster Response team of the Tata Sustainability Group (TSG) sprang into action. Working swiftly, the team initiated the One Tata response, a concerted effort steeped in compassion and practical support. Over the next 45 days, teams of Tata volunteers, including project managers, procurement officers and core volunteers, worked around the clock to understand the community’s needs. They reached out to the government’s 78 relief camps, tending to 8,400 people, and supported them with essential items.
Mr Kumar, who had lost his home, received a comprehensive furniture kit, which included a wooden cot, a dining table, chairs and a cupboard — items to rebuild the family’s lives in a rented home. He says, “Life will never be the same, but the support offered by the Tata family has given me a sense of hope.”
“The Tata Group approached us right after the disaster and it has been with us right from the search and rescue operations to the rehabilitation phase,” says Megashree DR, IAS District Collector and District Magistrate, Wayanad. “The team conducted a thorough needs assessment of remote tribal clusters and designed a kit tailored to their specific needs. Each kit weighed 65kg and had to be delivered to remote locations. Kudos to the volunteers who reached out to these families and ensured last-mile delivery.”
The 3 key phases of disaster response
Rescue: This has 2 distinct parts. Rescue services (first 7 days) are undertaken by government and paramilitary forces, and emergency response begins during or after rescue and can go up to 45 days. This is the time when survivors need food, water, medical aid and counselling. Services also include restoring communications infrastructure and basic public services, like electricity and water supply.
Relief: This phase can last up to six months, until affected communities return to their homes and start cooking at home. Restarting of the chulha (cooking stove) is an important step in the process of recovery. Relief kits provided may also include kitchen kit, hygiene kit, dignity kit for women, etc.
Rehabilitation: This can continue up to four years after the disaster, and includes strengthening communities, rebuilding of homes, community infrastructure (schools, etc) and livelihood restoration.
United front
Since its inception, TSG has enabled 20 relief responses, disbursing Rs 200+ crore to alleviate the distress of disaster survivors. “The One Tata response to disaster is a collaborative effort involving multiple Tata companies, each contributing funds and expertise in order to help the afflicted,” says Chacko Thomas, Group Chief Sustainability Officer, Tata Sons.
Supporting communities affected by disaster is not new to the Tata Group. The first documented instance was in 1934, when the Group helped communities during the earthquake in Munger, Bihar. Other disaster responses followed and the Tata Relief Committee (TRC) was set up in 1967 to lead the Group’s response to natural and man-made calamities. Over the years, TRC laid the groundwork for efficient operations and support systems. Then, in 2014, the Group formed TSG as a nodal resource with a dedicated Disaster Management team. The key mandate was to build capability and coordinate the One Tata disaster response.
Well-oiled machine
Over the years, each response added to TSG’s experience, and honed its Disaster Response Framework. “Our Disaster Response Framework is designed to support the most vulnerable,” says Shrirang Dhavale, Cluster Head – Social Services Cluster, TSG. “The One Tata Team goes all out to live the value of ‘reaching the underserved and most impacted’. This includes the aged, single women-led households, pregnant women, persons with disabilities and socially disadvantaged sections such as tribals or Dalits, among others.”
Under the framework, Tata companies with a deep presence in states serve as lead companies. For instance, Tata Motors in Maharashtra and Uttarakhand, Titan Company in Karnataka, Tata Consultancy Services in Tamil Nadu, and Tata Power in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Each state has a Tata State Disaster Response Platform, with the top business leader as convenor, representatives of Tata companies in that geography and members of TSG’s Disaster Response team as its members.
Technical support provided by Tata companies
Reconstruction of infrastructure: Tata Consulting Engineers, Tata Realty and Infrastructure, Tata Projects, Tata Steel
Restoration and supply of water: Tata Consumer Products, Tata Chemicals
Restoration of power: Tata Power, Tata Projects
Warehousing facilities: Tata Communications, Infiniti Retail, Trent, BigBasket
Communication services: Tata Communications, Tata Teleservices
Management of community kitchens and accommodation: Indian Hotels, TajSATS
Transportation: BigBasket, Trent, Tata Motors
Doctors and paramedical staff for health camps: Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals, Tata Motors, Titan Company, Tata Power, Tata 1mg
*Illustrative and not conclusive list
“The lead Tata company is critical to building peacetime capabilities and the response,” says Mr Dhavale. “These companies are in touch with local authorities, speak the local language and manage the logistics. Engaging with state disaster response bodies of the government, NGOs and other stakeholders is an integral part of peacetime capacity building.”
During the emergency response and relief phase of operations, a cadre of project managers leads the emergency response and procurement officers take charge of purchase, logistics and warehousing. Currently TSG’s roster has 48 project managers from 20 Tata companies and the Tata Trusts, and 23 procurement officers from 16 companies. In 2025, 13 women from 12 Tata companies were inducted to enhance diversity among project managers. Members are on call, ready to lead an emergency response at a day’s notice. They may be deputed for up to 45 days, working 24x7 amid challenging conditions.
R Subramaniam, Assistant Vice President, Tata AIA Life Insurance, was a project manager during the 2024 Wayanad landslides and flood response. “I returned from Kerala a changed man, touched and humbled by the experience,” he says. Ipsita Das and Sumedh Patil from TSG’s Disaster Response team reflect on the humanitarian response as being emotionally demanding and profoundly fulfilling — a journey that tests resilience while offering the privilege of making a difference in people’s lives.
Cadres undergo an intensive five-day basic induction course and an annual three-day refresher course. This year’s training was in Wayanad where the cadre was exposed to field realities. The curriculum for these trainings is designed by the National Institute of Disaster Management and the Gujarat Institute of Disaster Management. The courses combine theoretical knowledge with field training. For example, TSG asked the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation for inputs on the response for an earthquake in the Himalayan region. This included training on planning a campsite for the response team, managing water, etc.
The cadres are supported by core volunteers, selected for their linguistic and professional skills, who are deputed for up to seven days to help with surveys and relief distribution. TSG has also trained Aapda Mitras — local volunteer first responders — in Idukki district of Kerala in collaboration with the District Administration.
Disaster risk reduction
TSG believes that there is a growing need to address disaster risk through systematic planning and comprehensive risk reduction measures. The Global Assessment Report 2025, published by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, acknowledges TSG’s efforts, which are in keeping with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. “Disasters are increasing in frequency and severity,” says Mr Dhavale. “While the Group will work on the response, building resilience and preparing communities will need to be done by integrating the disaster risk reduction agenda in all CSR projects of Tata companies.” TSG works with the Group’s CSR community to facilitate this integration, which is critical for protecting the gains arising out of CSR projects.
Key interventions suggested include identification of disaster risks and preparation of risk reduction plans and their deployment. The team is currently implementing a programme with the Tata Steel Foundation and AJSA India to plant and protect mangroves and conserve Olive Ridley turtles in cyclone-prone Puri, Odisha. The mangroves will act as a natural barrier, protecting life and habitats along the shoreline, and provide a source of livelihood to the community.
Building resilience
No system can work like clockwork in a crisis unless it is underpinned by meticulous planning. TSG holds annual discussions with state disaster response platforms in hazard-prone states and biennially in non-critical states. Teams discuss vulnerabilities and conduct preparedness drills to refine emergency actions. TSG has partnered with the National Institute of Disaster Management and humanitarian response agencies to improve crisis response procedures.
The effort is boosted by an app-based system for profiling families and for relief distribution management. An IT platform has been created for grant management.
In-house advantage
The inherent capabilities of the Tata Group are leveraged for all response efforts. Existing linkages with vendors expedite the sourcing of relief kits, while ready infrastructure and pre-negotiated rates ensure quality, cost and timely delivery.
Tata companies in sectors such as infrastructure, power supply, communications, hospitality, transportation and logistics provide technical support, and help restore essential services. They deploy doctors and medical staff to set up health camps. TSG is now exploring a partnership with BigBasket to deliver relief after urban disasters.
THREE-PRONGED RESPONSE
TSG decides on the type of disaster response based on the magnitude of the disaster, in consultation with the lead Tata company in the area. Its framework identifies three kinds of disaster responses.
Group-led response
These are led by TSG through the Tata Community Initiatives Trust (TCIT), with on-ground support from the lead company in the state. For example, Kanan Devan Hills Plantation (KDHP), a subsidiary of TCP, assisted TSG and managed the Tata Group’s response to the 2024 landslides and floods in Wayanad, Kerala.
Landslides and floods in Kerala - 3 phases (2024 - 2025)
KDHP: Designated to manage the Tata Group’s response
Emergency phase: Disaster response gear given to district authority
Relief phase: 200 families supported in relief camp; 300 families given dry food kits; 700 families given comprehensive furniture and household kits; 1,000 tribal families given household kits
Rehabilitation phase: 11,419 people provided psychosocial care and support; Construction of trauma care centre in Vythiri will benefit 50,000 people
Company-led response
Following TSG guidelines, the lead company in the state undertakes the relief work, while other Tata companies provide support. For example, Amalgamated Plantations, a subsidiary of Tata Consumer Products (TCP), took the lead in the aftermath of the 2022 Assam floods and Tata Motors’ Sumant Moolgaokar Development Foundation provided relief after the 2019 Kolhapur Floods.
Floods in Assam - August 2022-December 2022
Relief phase: 6,000 lives touched, 794 household kits distributed, Rs 1.2 crore pledged by 9 Tata companies
Company-level response
A Tata company with a strong presence in the disaster affected state responds to the disaster. For example, the aid provided by Tata Power and Tata Steel after the 2023 train accident in Balasore, Odisha, and Tata Power’s relief efforts during the 2023 Thoothukudi floods.
2023 Balasore train accident - June 2-June 6 - Emergency response
Initiatives by Tata Steel: Emergency ambulance service, evacuated patients from ground zero, 2,500 medical kits given to rescue personnel, 2,000 packaged food kits distributed, 2 cranes deployed for debris clearance, 900+ people assisted via 24x7 hospital help desks
Initiatives by Tata Power: 3 mobile medical vans deployed within 3 hours, 150 patients evacuated from ground zero, truck-mounted lights for rescue operations, 700 people provided cooked food, 158 units of blood collected
Preparedness is key
TSG seeks to build capability to minimise the impact of disasters. “At the centre of everything we do — whether Aalingana, disaster response or CSR — is the planet and how we can impact it positively,” says Mr Chacko. “TSG, whose mission revolves around the twin Ps, People and Planet, is working in the area of disaster management as a way of showing the need to nurture both.” The team hopes that synergies among companies as part of the One Tata disaster response, strengthened by new companies like Tata 1mg and Air India, will enhance capabilities through shared resources, technical expertise and coordinated action.
—Cynthia Rodrigues
