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The end of a struggle: Chandrasekaran appointed Tata’s chief

By Sam Edem
Mr. Chandrasekaran
Mr. Chandrasekaran
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Over the past five months, India’s leading conglomerate has been at the center of discussion in the business world: not over  innovations or historic earnings disclosure but of its controversial tussle over who chairs the group following the feud between the Tata Sons and the then Chairman, a misunderstanding that resulted in the removal of Cyrus Mistry as the group’s chief.

Now after months of what seemed like an endless period of rancour between board members of this remarkable Asian enterprise leader, Mr. Chandra Chandrasekaran, widely considered one of the best-known faces of the Tata Group is appointed the chairman.

Mr. Chandrasekaran, 53, began his journey with the Tata group in 1987 when he joined the company after obtaining his Master's degree in computer applications from the prestigious National Institute of Technology, Trichy a city in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. He was until his appointment as Chairman, the chief executive of the groups’ global IT service provider, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Mr. Chandrasekaran, set to be the seventh chairman of the Tata group, is making history as the first person appointed to the post who is not part of India's affluent Parsi community. The development can be considered a paradigm shift in the groups’ leadership which has had the Parsi family having a long grip over the $100bn (£80bn) conglomerate.

Apart from being an accomplished business leader, Mr. Chandrasekaran is also reputed for being a passionate athlete: participating in marathons in various cities round the world including the likes of, Berlin, New York, Boston, and in the Indian city Mumbai.

Speaking of Tata’s new chief, S Ramadorai, former chief executive of TCS and the new chairman’s first boss had in 2009 said, "I spotted him way back in 1996, and knew that he had the potential,".

Under Mr. Chandrasekaran watch, TCS has expanded its global presence and significantly, India's most valuable company with a near $70bn in market capitalization. This exceptional leadership and an antecedent of accomplishments were instrumental in the group’s board decision on who takes its apex job.

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