Come 2018, the salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group will celebrate 150 years of existence. The fireworks, however, began a little before Diwali this year. In a swift and unparalleled move, the Group “replaced” its chairman Cyrus Mistry and brought back Ratan Tata as the interim chairman.

In the days and weeks that followed, allegations and counter allegations have been flying thick, fast and furious. There was even a hint of violence when media photographers were beaten outside the group’s headquarters in Mumbai. Suddenly, the Tata Group did not look like the gentleman of yore that would never get involved in a public scrap. While the boardroom battle might take some time to abate, what happens to the brand?

In its nearly fifteen decades of existence, the group has evolved from a trading concern to a conglomerate that has more than 6.6 lakh employees across the world and revenues in excess of $103 billion in 2015-16. But with the events that have caught the public’s attention since October 24, 2016, does the Tata brand take a knock from the pedestal? After all, the group stood tall in most brand rankings or valuations done by various agencies till as late as September 2016.

No storm in the tea cup It’s not that the turn of events from October 24 — the day the Tata group replaced its chairman — is going to make the common consumer stay away from Tata’s wide array of goods and services, be it jewellery, clothes, coffee, tea, watches or automobiles.

Rajan Krishnan, founding partner, The Philosopher’s Stone, a branding and design consultancy, says, “For the common man, Ratan Tata as a brand is far bigger and Tata as a brand means trust.” He adds that the recent events will take some shine off the brand for some time, but it can bounce back.

Best place to work The Tata Group was often considered as a place that guaranteed lifetime employment. Considering that Cyrus Mistry and a majority of his core team (the group executive council) were fired without even a day’s notice, could that have a direct impact on the brand’s image as an employer? That too, when both Mistry and one of his GEC members Nirmalya Kumar, the former London Business School professor, claim to have got good appraisals for their performance not too long ago? In a blog, post titled, ‘ I just got fired ’ Kumar wrote that in as many words: “It was not as if I was fired for non-performance (my last evaluation was excellent).”

Will the recent turn of events make prospective employees turn away from the Tata brand? Purvi Sheth, CEO, Shilputsi Consultants, says, “It does not impact the brand at most levels.” Mid-level managers will see it as top-level issue that does not percolate downwards. She adds that prospective employees will look at the recent developments as a one-time event.

Another leading HR consultant says the only place where the brand has shown some kind of impact is when former Tata employees look for jobs. “They are not keen to display their Tata association as a badge, at least for now,” says the consultant on condition of anonymity. However, he says the recent developments will have little impact on campus where the salary and global opportunities still rule the roost. For middle-level employees the only thing that matters is the financial performance of the group company they intend to work for.

It’s at the investor’s end where observers feel that the brand has already taken a tumble. Most Tata stocks have taken a knock at the bourses, say experts. “People are no longer going to implicitly assume that the Tata group equals good governance. There is a closer scrutiny,” says Shriram Subramanian, founder and MD, InGovern Research.

According to him, apart from the stock markets, even the group’s joint venture partners could be closely viewing the issue. He, however, thinks that if the issue abates in the short term, the situation will be under control.

“If the battle lingers on, brand and reputation could take a knock,” he says.

Surely, everyone is hoping for a future that has less smoke and noise than the pre-Diwali dhamaka at Bombay House.

Did someone say, let there be light?

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