How 34-lakh crore Tata business empire operates? Know difference between Tata Sons, Tata Trusts, and Tata Group

Do you know how the expansive Tata business empire is run, and what is difference between its major arms Tata Trusts, Tata Sons, and the Tata Group? Let us delve into how the Rs 34 lakh crore salt-to-software conglomerate operates.

Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group, passed away at the age of 86 in October last year. Ratan Tata served as the Chairman of Tata Group and Tata Sons from 1991-2012, and as Interim Chairman from October 2016-January 2017, and during his tenure transformed the group from a domestic business house into a global juggernaut which currently has consists of over 30 companies spread across more than 100 countries, and has a market cap of $403 billion (more than Rs 33.7 trillion).

But have you ever wondered how the gigantic Tata business empire is run, and what is difference between its major arms Tata Trusts, Tata Sons, and the Tata Group? Let us delve into how the Rs 34 lakh crore salt-to-software conglomerate operates.

How Tata Group is run?

The Tata Group is essentially operated by Tata Sons, its holding company , with Tata Trusts being the largest stakeholder in the conglomerate, owning a combined 66 percent stake.

Established by its founder Jamshedji Nusserwanji Tata, when he purchased a bankrupt oil mill for Rs 21,000 in 1868, a huge amount at the time, and repurposed it into a cotton factory, the Tata Group has, after over 135 years of its founding, transformed into an expansive global conglomerate with businesses ranging from salt to software, spread across more than 100 countries globally.

Largest stakeholder in Tata Sons

As per reports, around 66 percent of Tata Group’s earnings go to charitable ventures undertaken by its various trusts under the umbrella body known as Tata Trusts, which consists of two main trusts Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust– having a combined 52 percent stake in the company.

Other trusts running under Tata Trusts have a combined stake of 14 percent, and as such Tata Trusts, which has a 66 percent stake in the Tata Sons is the largest stakeholder in the company.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), India’s second-largest IT services firm, is the largest company under the Tata Group umbrella, boasting a market cap of Rs 1,270,000 crore, forming a major chunk of the conglomerate’s total valuation.

Tata Sons, Tata Group, and Tata Trusts – How are they different?

In layman’s terms Tata Sons is the parent company of Tata Group, which consists of over 100 operating companies. In more technical terms, Tata Sons is the holding company that owns the majority of the Tata Group’s shareholding, including land, tea estates, and steel plants. Tata Sons derives revenue from dividends and brand loyalty fees.

Meanwhile, Tata Trusts is an umbrella company under which several trusts engaged in philanthropic ventures in fields such as art, culture, education, health, and livelihood generation, operate. Tata Trusts has a combined 66 percent stake in Tata Sons, making it the majority shareholder of the company.