In heartfelt letter to employees, TATA Group chairman says opportunities buried in stress of COVID-19

As the year draws to a close, Tata Group Chairman N Chandrasekaran, in a heartfelt letter to employees said that the logistical challenges that consumed the company's senior leadership over the past year does not compare to the personal challenges that employees faced. He took the opportunity to extend New Year greetings to employees and bid farewell to a challenging year.

He said, "As we battle COVID-19, we are on the threshold of a new global cooperation era where individuals, businesses, and nations must join forces." Stressing that such cooperation is needed, he added, vaccine distribution will be an international operation of unparalleled complexity.

"Though this year has been hard, we end it with a renewed sense of possibility. Buried in the stress and trauma of COVID-19 are opportunities for renewal. Pandemics have, in the past, inspired progress in medicine, urban planning, architecture and countless other fields. This one will be the same. This moment is akin to walking on abridge, but it’s a special bridge, because we are not simply waiting to see what is on the other side. Instead, we have a hand in building our destination," he said.

Tata Group has faced some tough challenges this year, the primary one being the court battle with Cyrus Mistry’s Shahpoorji Pallonji Group over its stake in Tata Sons and its bid for ailing national carrier Air India bid. The group has thrown its hat into the ring for the airline's ownership it had once sold to the Indian government.

Chandrasekaran pointed out that the pandemic did not alter the course of the world; it just accelerated us towards tech adoption.

In the past year, technology and digitisation have seen a massive increase from non-tech companies as well. This shift in how small and large businesses operate is companies' way of fighting the pandemic.

We have witnessed a shift in priorities, from "just in time" we have moved to "just in case," he added.

Globally, the focus on safety and resilience has increased. A new economy is emerging, and resilience will be vital in building supply chains, connections, and communities, he said.