From the initial days of XLRI, Tata Steel has been an ardent and committed supporter of the institution. The very first batches were taught by Tata Steel employees - S.C. Joshi, then Personnel Manager of TISCO (as Tata Steel was then known), was one of the biggest draws with his classes on Labour Law.
That land had been leased to XLRI by TISCO is well documented – first to establish the institution on its own premises, and then at various stages, to grow, both in area and in impact. Tata Steel has always supported XLRI on its growth path – be it with additional building infrastructure or human resources such as engineers and landscape specialists.
But, this has not been without interest. Tata Steel has always understood the value that XLRI brings. Not just to management education but to nation-building. While Tata Steel understands and appreciates the value of legacy, it is a forward-looking organization. It recognizes XLRI’s similar values and approach, and to that end, has assumed a partnership role with whole-hearted commitment.
Tata Steel has consistently been happy to provide internships to the bright students of XLRI and has been even happier to make them long-term members of the Tata family. Generations of dynamic XLRI students have impressed Tata Steel management with their pitching skills and have brought the company on board as Principal Sponsor for event after event – academic, co-curricular and extra-curricular, thus ensuring Tata Steel presence on campus throughout the year.
Of course, there are the committed and erudite members of faculty who have worked with Tata Steel institutionally. Together, some companies of the Tata Group and XLRI Jamshedpur have collaborated to set up one of XLRI’s Centres of Excellence - the JRD Tata Foundation for Business Ethics. The Foundation was established to advocate for and further their long-standing commitment and contribution to business ethics in India.
It is important to remember that the conversations of impact and influence in coming years will be on sustainability, climate change, biodiversity, water, equitable access to resources, among others. With the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals driving national economic policies, working towards a more equitable world is today more than a moral science lecture or an idealistic vision. Towards this end, Tata Steel has been facilitating XLRI’s Rural Immersion Programme, a mandatory part of the course at the institute.
The XLRI vision also talks about creating a sustainable future. XLRI has been preparing students to become leaders who envision the future from a lens of sustainability. These are the needs of the hour and of the future. XLRI with its stated vision of nurturing responsible global leaders for the greater common good and a sustainable future, and the Tata Steel Foundation, one of the most respected CSR implementation institutions in the world have come together to offer an AICTE-approved one-year Post Graduate Certificate Programme in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) Leadership.
Last, not the least and certainly the most important is how we work for the greater common good. For me, this remains the most powerful phrase in the XLRI vision and at the heart of XLRI’s identity as an institution that creates leaders who are encouraged to think beyond the narrow confines of management thought. XLRI is an institute with a soul, one that inculcates the spirit of service.
As a part of both Tata Steel and XLRI Jamshedpur, I can confidently state that this association has enabled both entities to contribute to the community, society and the nation and that we remain committed to collaborate together for the greater good.
