Editorial

Precedence provides perspective, and prescience as well. Long before the term ‘corporate social responsibility’ became a constant — a mantra perhaps characterised by the chanting of it as much as adherence to the values enshrined within — there were business enterprises that truly believed in the nobility of what constitutes public good. The Tata group has been, and continues to be, one such enterprise.

Ever since Jamsetji Tata, the founder of the group, established the JN Tata Endowment for the Higher Education of Indians in 1892, the Tatas have nurtured a culture of sharing and caring that is unique in the context of this country. The first of the Tata Trusts, the JN Tata Endowment, marked the beginning of a 133-year journey of nation-building and community welfare, the genesis of a legacy that defines the Tata group and its endeavours.

A critical element of the Tata commitment to India and Indians has been the creation and support of institutions and organisations dedicated to worthy causes. Our cover story explores newer facets of this commitment while focusing on four recent examples: the collaboration with the central government’s Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship to launch the Tata Indian Institute of Skills; the setting up of the Centre for Brain Research and financial backing for the Centre for Neuroscience, both of these at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru; and, not least, the partnership with the New Delhi-based think tank, Carnegie India.

This edition of Horizons features two stories from thematic areas that the Tata Trusts have concentrated much attention on: education and livelihoods. There’s the effort to enhance learning outcomes for primary and secondary school students in Jharkhand and Odisha, and a programme in eastern Uttar Pradesh that has delivered an income boost to 6,500-plus farmers. In a similar vein is the collaboration with Deutsche Bank in rural Rajasthan to provide a leg up to women tilling the land.

There’s more as well: our Chairman Noel Tata reflecting on the achievements of his predecessor, Ratan Tata, as a philanthropist; a compelling interview with Dr Sudeep Gupta, director of the Tata Memorial Centre; and the Tata Trusts’ chief executive Siddharth Sharma on what India can do to develop its skilling ecosystem. To round it off, we have a pictorial rendering of the outstanding work Antaran, the crafts-themed livelihoods initiative, has been doing to help artisans in the handloom sector.

Christabelle Noronha

We hope you will help us make Horizons better with your valuable feedback. Please do write to us at horizons@tatatrusts.org.