India Inc Needs to Focus More on Collaboration: Ratan Tata

Tata Sons' Chairman-Emeritus Ratan Tata today suggested that Indian companies need to focus more on collaboration in various areas so as to propel the country instead of focussing only on individual achievements.

"We need to envy or to be proud on the success of another Indian company. But we try to pull down each other, whereas in other countries you see businesses are pulling together...," Mr Tata said after receiving the 18th MMA (Madras Management Association) Amalgamations Business Leadership Award 2014.

"In the years, I have been in business; it has been extremely difficult to get 20 business leaders in a room to move away from talking about their own companies, than what they could provide to new India.

"I or he or she can make India successful, but then we together can do much more...," he said to a query on how Indian brands can become global brands.

"How many collaborations between Indian companies do we see in India against elsewhere in the world. How many research activities do we see together between business leaders in India as against the World? So industry in India has to be more prepared to help each other, more trusting and more collaborative than they are...," he said.

Observing that there was "no reason" to be incapable of leading an enterprise outside India for an Indian entrepreneur, he said, "We have all the ingredients. It is the attitude of not giving due recognition to success of Indian companies (matters)".

Asked on what government and businesses have in the growth of India, Mr Tata said, "the government has the role of improving the infrastructure, creating the environment for its people that gives security and safety and gives them the opportunity to grow. On the other hand corporates have to be entrepreneurial.

Business and corporate world have to exist side by side, complementing each other not conflicting, not misusing each other, but moving together to make the country. Whenever that ceases, the Nation's economy gets tumbled".

On his vision of Indian auto-industry in the next 15-20 years, he said, the automobile industry has grown today mainly with the growth of International companies but yet Indian car industry or auto-industry "survived".

"We should think bigger than we are and have the confidence of continuing to grow. Because the potential available in this country is enormous. It is for us to grab and should not confine ourselves to the shores of India but taking it to the International market place," he said.

Asked about his vision for India in next 20 years, he said, "All the Indians have very good opportunity not that small per cent use that opportunity. People should get jobs based on their capability anywhere and they should get equal opportunity".