The group operates in seven business sectors: communications and information technology, engineering, materials, services, energy, consumer products and chemicals. It operates in more than 80 countries across six continents and its companies export products and services to 85 countries.
Tata says: "As one of the largest business groups, we understand our corporate social responsibility and are committed to improving the quality of life of the communities we serve through leadership and global competitiveness in the business sectors we operate.
"In the true spirit of adventure and exploration our history tells a story of pioneering efforts in the sectors we operate in. We established the Taj brand of hotels as early as 1902. We set up Asia's first steel plant. Our ICT operations are the largest and the oldest in IT software in India and one of the Top 10 in the world today. We built India's first indigenous car.
"All of these 'firsts' are meaningless without a commitment to develop the communities in which we operate. This too holds true in respect of our commitment to Africa. We are not only committed to 'grow throughout Africa', but we are also committed to 'help grow Africa'.
"It is, in this spirit of adventure that we made a foray into Africa more than three decade back. Today our footprint spans across 14 African countries with a view to expand to at least 20 countries in the next 5-7 years. To date more than $1.6-billion has been invested on the continent and further expansion is in the pipeline.
"From our first foray into Zambia, the Tata portfolio has diversified its offerings throughout the continent ranging from power, to telecommunications, steel, mining, hospitality, consulting and even pharmaceuticals. Many of these projects in these sectors have been Greenfield projects with a solid partnership approach.
"Our focus has always been to build and strengthen local partnerships on the ground. Our projects are underpinned by a conscious effort to be more than just an economic partner. We've taken up the challenge to invest in training, social upliftment and long term projects that benefit the societies in which we operate."
Tata has been involved in various educational initiatives that empower beneficiaries, enabling sustainable livelihoods and the possibility of becoming leaders across industry and government. For the past seven years, Tata has been partnering with a number of universities in South Africa to support postgraduate students that show financial need and academic competence with the award of the Tata Postgraduate Scholarship.
To date Tata Africa has disbursed in excess of R10-million towards this initiative. The bursaries are not faculty specific, allowing a wide range of candidates to be supported across all academic fields.
In 2013, two African universities will be included in the scholarship programme to reflect the Tata Group's footprint expansion into Africa. Tata Africa acknowledges the national objective of job creation that is underpinned by a joint effort from both government and the private sector to increase the capacity of the local workforce. Both Tata Africa alongside other Tata group companies have included skills development throughout their CSI initiatives.
Tata Africa has recognised the African Leadership Academy (ALA) as an excellent partner in skills development. The ALA is a highly prestigious institution in South Africa that is lauded as a leader in building leadership capacity on the continent and growing the talent pool of Africans.
Tata partnered with the South African government under the programme, Joint Initiative on Priority Skills Acquisition (Jipsa), as a host to graduates that placed in the international placement programme. These graduates assumed internships at Tata companies in India to accelerate their technical and managerial skills for the telecommunications, infrastructure, water and energy, and transport sectors in South Africa.
In addition to the flagship programmes, Tata companies in Africa embrace the opportunity to make direct impact on the communities within which they operate, addressing immediate social needs such as health care. Tata Africa Services in Nigeria has partnered with the government of Lagos and, in January 2012, donated a mobile health clinic as a contribution to the improvement of Nigerian healthcare. Due to poor infrastructure, access to primary healthcare is challenging for citizens in rural and semi rural communities.
Employees from the Tata companies in Africa receive notification of volunteering opportunities at Operation Smile missions throughout the year. These missions provide free cleft lip and cleft palate repair as well as the reconstruction of other facial deformities to children around the African continent and globe.
Tata employees show true commitment to investing in their communities by offering their time and hands to the doctors and nurses of Operation Smile.
Tata firmly believes in the fostering of entrepreneurship becaause with educationi it promises to address social and economic challenges in a sustainable manner. Brand South Africa and Tata Africa collaborate in leveraging their platforms in order to foster entrepreneurial spirit and leadership development in the country through the Tata Top Ten competition.
A Tata Top Ten winner is an example of a young individual with business savvy and knowledge of the country, social issue and Tata companies. Not only does the Tata Top Ten Winner receive funds for their business but in the spirit of good sportsmanship, all Tata Top Ten candidates receive an educational prize.
Furthering its support of entrepreneurs and leadership, Tata is a sponsor of the All Africa Business Leader Awards. The award ceremony honours African business leaders who make a difference through innovation and inspiration in their industry sectors and is attended by ministers, and high profile business men and women across the African continent.
The Neotel academy is at the forefront of telecommunications skills development, churning out up-skilled technicians every year through itsnationally accredited courses. More importantly, each graduate is offered employment opportunities at Neotel or partner companies.
Land Rover South Africa is active in sponsorship and focuses mainly on the four tiers of humanitarian, sport, conservation and investing in its ambassadors such as Kingsley Holgate and Bryan Habana.
Land Rover has been assisting Rally to Read in distributing stationary and reading material to rural areas since its inception in 1998. Other humanitarian involvement includes Red Cross and the Road Safety Foundation. In terms of conservation, Land Rover has been working with the Endangered Wildlife Trust to protect wild dogs since 2000 and Land Rover continues to support the Born Free Foundation through sponsorship of vehicles.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) South Africa is spearheading local capacity building in the services sector through the Initial Learning Program (IPL). The programme enables local recruitment, skills development, and local capacity building for previously disadvantaged youth who then join the TCS team as interns.
Hands on with skills development in its area of operations is Tata Automobile Corporation of South Africa (Tacsa). The Tacsa Training centre caters to the training requirements of its own dealerships, major fleet owners, academic institutions that require practical elements added to the theoretical curriculum, the South African police service and national defence force, among a rapidly growing list.
Tata Steel KZN has launched several programmes of which skills development and women empowerment-related activities take a high priority. The company has identified several local schools that are in need of funding and have worked with these schools to serve them in their needs. Tata Steel KZN also put a great deal of effort into hiring and training local citizens for to work on the plant.
Tata Chemicals in Magadi in Kenya has built a tight knit relationship with the community in which it operates by providing support in the most critical areas, healthcare and education.
Tata Chemicals Magadi has dedicated resources to the upgrading of equipment and facilities at the Magadi Hospital, has provided financial and material support to the HIV clinic in Nkurumani and hassubsidised medical aid.
The company TCM has been involved with building local schools, skills training, micro-business support and financial support for students through bursaries. Above and beyond the commitment to health and education, it has extended its corporate social responsibility arm into the development of ecotourism, maintenance of roads and railways, passenger transport and security support.
In response to the growing demand for medium and heavy commercial vehicles in South Africa and its neighbours, Tata established an assembly plant in Rosslyn (Pretoria) in July 2011.
The plant has prioritised local employment and up-skilling and is but one reflection of Tata's commitment to South Africa and its government's objectives to create opportunity for sustainable livelihoods.
Although this article has been made possible by the Mail & Guardian's advertisers, content and photographs were sourced independently by the M&G supplements editorial team. It forms part of a larger supplement.