Without doubting the credentials of the incoming Chairman of Tata Sons, Mr. Chandrasekaran, some thoughts that merit attention are:
a) He has spent his entire career so far in TCS, regarded as the 'cash cow' of Tata Sons. But the Tata empire ranges from 'salt to software' businesses. Would he not need to understand the complexities of each of these businesses, and how would he be bench-marking himself vis-a-vis the heads of each Tata company, where job knowledge is concerned?
b) Would the boards of each Tata company have sufficient autonomy to take bold business decisions, or would they be subservient to their holding company, that is Tata Sons?
c) Would any bold decision by the board of Tata Sons regarding any of its loss making company, be taken and implemented only after running the same through the board of the respective companies and its shareholders, or would be just forced upon the same?
d) How would he go about reviving the fortunes of Tata Steel, and Indian Hotels, without having to take bold measures such as selling off those businesses to groups that are just focused on such businesses, and are not a diversified conglomerate like the Tata group?
e) And above all, how would he perform the much needed balancing act, which perhaps his predecessor could not manage? And that is, balancing the expectations of the biggest stakeholder in Tata Sons, which is Tata Trusts on one hand, and the board of Tata Sons, along-with the boards of each constituent Tata companies?
