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Context is everything.
Detailed stories on technology startups, business and economic current affairs.
Detailed stories on technology startups, business and economic current affairs.
The $13 billion acquisition of the European steelmaker turned out to be the Tata group’s biggest blunder. A takeover of the national flag carrier could prove equally painful.
Editor's note: The similarities are uncanny. Nearly 14 years ago, Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata was the force behind a decision of the Tata Steel management, led by managing director B. Muthuraman, to acquire Corus for $13 billion. Tata had wanted the group’s steel business to be global and Corus made that possible. Formed through the merger of British Steel and Koninklijke Hoogovens of the Netherlands, Corus was steeped in legacy and bureaucracy issues. The acquisition, despite being expensive, seemed to make a lot of sense. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel producer in the world and got access to a developed market that promised high margins. That rationale, however, melted within two years. To date, it remains India Inc.’s largest overseas acquisition. And, possibly its biggest blunder. Tata Steel’s present managing director and global chief executive officer T.V. Narendran and group chief financial officer Koushik Chatterjee remain engaged in a constant endeavour to find buyers and shed what is left of a storied name in the global steel industry. The company itself has spent the last decade coming to terms …
The $13 billion acquisition of the European steelmaker turned out to be the Tata group’s biggest blunder. A takeover of the national flag carrier could prove equally painful.
Editor's note: The similarities are uncanny. Nearly 14 years ago, Tata Sons chairman Ratan Tata was the force behind a decision of the Tata Steel management, led by managing director B. Muthuraman, to acquire Corus for $13 billion. Tata had wanted the group’s steel business to be global and Corus made that possible. Formed through the merger of British Steel and Koninklijke Hoogovens of the Netherlands, Corus was steeped in legacy and bureaucracy issues. The acquisition, despite being expensive, seemed to make a lot of sense. Tata Steel became the sixth largest steel producer in the world and got access to a developed market that promised high margins. That rationale, however, melted within two years. To date, it remains India Inc.’s largest overseas acquisition. And, possibly its biggest blunder. Tata Steel’s present managing director and global chief executive officer T.V. Narendran and group chief financial officer Koushik Chatterjee remain engaged in a constant endeavour to find buyers and shed what is left of a storied name in the global steel industry. The company itself has spent the last decade coming to terms …
The FMCG major acquired the maker of Ching’s Secret to make the most of its high margins, but things didn’t go to plan. Two years and a few lessons later, TCPL is trying to change that.
The Tata Group’s silence and absence from Ahmedabad on the first anniversary of India’s worst air disaster risks putting a dent in its much-vaunted value system.
A drop in employee costs, despite the need to hire pilots under the new DGCA norms, raises fresh concerns about IndiGo’s staffing, and its vulnerability to a December 2025-scale disruption.
The FMCG major acquired the maker of Ching’s Secret to make the most of its high margins, but things didn’t go to plan. Two years and a few lessons later, TCPL is trying to change that.
The Tata Group’s silence and absence from Ahmedabad on the first anniversary of India’s worst air disaster risks putting a dent in its much-vaunted value system.
A drop in employee costs, despite the need to hire pilots under the new DGCA norms, raises fresh concerns about IndiGo’s staffing, and its vulnerability to a December 2025-scale disruption.
