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The Learning Factory: How The Leaders of TATA became Nation Builders
Founded in 1868 by Jamshetji Tata, the Tata Group symbolizes the great Indian story of hope, growth and phenomenal success. The group played the role of a nation builder in post-independent India. Its companies were headed by legendary chairpersons, all of whom firmly believed in the importance of continuously learning and growing. What can we learn from the individual stories that come together to form this inspiring narrative? Like all great successes, this isn’t one story—it is many accounts that are so powerful that the whole is so much greater than the sum of all its parts.
In The Learning Factory, Arun Maira narrates people-centric episodes that bring alive the values of the Tata Group, standards that combine the high-velocity practices as well as the old-fashioned principles that make the Tata Group the giant it is today. With insightful stories of conduct that are as practically implementable as they are inspiring, this is a blueprint for the individual as well as the business that seeks success through its community of leaders, workers and thinkers.
‘The Learning Factory is a book full of anecdotal stories that offers different teachings and lessons for students, business professionals, as well as those curious about the Tata way of business. This firsthand narration of interactions and incidents with Tata leaders gives a new insight into the group’s leadership and strategy and helps better understand its value-driven business.’
– Ratan Tata
In The Learning Factory, Arun Maira narrates people-centric episodes that bring alive the values of the Tata Group, standards that combine the high-velocity practices as well as the old-fashioned principles that make the Tata Group the giant it is today. With insightful stories of conduct that are as practically implementable as they are inspiring, this is a blueprint for the individual as well as the business that seeks success through its community of leaders, workers and thinkers.
‘The Learning Factory is a book full of anecdotal stories that offers different teachings and lessons for students, business professionals, as well as those curious about the Tata way of business. This firsthand narration of interactions and incidents with Tata leaders gives a new insight into the group’s leadership and strategy and helps better understand its value-driven business.’
– Ratan Tata
- GenresBusiness
272 pages, Hardcover
Published October 1, 2020
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November 1, 2020A firsthand account of some of the principles, ethics and values that have catapulted the behemoth that is the TATA Group into a ‘humanitarian’ conglomerate, Arun Maira’s “The Learning Factory” is an anecdotal account that reveals the aspirations, ambitions and attitudes of two colossal figures, who strode across India’s industrial and engineering landscape. The duo’s passion and purpose made the word zealous read feeble. The efforts of J.R.D. Tata and Sumant Moolgaokar not just succeeded in making the House of Tatas a household name, but also ignited a spark that spurred an entire nation to achieve heights hitherto unimagined.
However, Mr. Maira’s book leaves the reader a tad bit unsatisfied when the covers come down on it. The structure of the book itself takes the form of a scatter graph. Instances and incidents are repeated across Chapters, thereby frustrating the reader. For example, an account of how Mr. Maira and his collection of cheap trinkets (souvenirs from Singapore) were allowed to pass through Customs Duty, after a senior authority accepted him for his word, regarding the amount spent on them, just because he was from the Tata Group of companies, gets an elongated, and avoidable mention in more than one Chapter. As does the stellar efforts expended by Mr. Moolgaokar in transforming a barren landscape allocated to the Tatas in Pune for their factory, into a dense ecological foliage, whose confines was deemed safe even by a leopard which choose to birth its cub under safe cover of such greenery. This particular episode has also been mentioned by another Tata veteran, Syamal Gupta in his book, “Quintessentially Tatas”.
The book is more a revelation of Mr. Maira’s own experience with some of the chieftains acknowledged to be titans of the Tata Group, rather than a legacy of the Group itself. The narrative stops in the year 1989. Readers will remember that India’s economic fortunes and reputation as a nation to be reckoned with took off like a whirlwind following the liberalization efforts initiated in 1991 and thereafter. Hence there is a total absence of contemporaneous analysis and dissection of the ‘Tata way of life.’ Hence controversial aspects such as the imbroglio surrounding the Cyrus Mistry saga, and the easing away of entrenched personalities such as Russi Mody from the management, are conspicuously absent. Instead what the reader is treated to are instances of successful turned around strategies such as the Tatab joint venture with a Malaysian local entity and the Tata-Daimler-Benz collaboration which resulted ultimately in trucks being manufactured within India of the same quality and precision that hitherto represented the sole preserve of the German company.
Mr. Maira pays unabashed and unashamed homage to the late Sumit Moolgaokar. This book in fact is more a testimony to the greatness of Moolgaokar than an overview of the Tata Group and its ethos. Not that this leaves reason for anyone to complain. Mr. Moolgaokar is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever visionaries that this country has had the privilege to grace, and his endeavours will remain immortalized in the lexicon of Indian industrial ingenuity and innovation. As Mr. Maira holds forth, Mr. Moolgaokar is, without any debate, acknowledged as the brain behind Tata Motors, formerly known as the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) and of which he was the Chief Executive; he also donned the mantle of the Vice Chairman of Tata Steel. An indefatigable entrepreneurial spirt made Mr. Moolgaokar conceptualise from scratch a factory at Pune that manufactured trucks, vans, coaches, buses military vehicles, passenger cars, sports cars and construction equipment. Mr. Moolgaokar termed this plant, “The Learning Factory”, since an absence of talent as well as restrictions on import of equipment during a draconian exchange control regime ensured that all precision equipment to be used in the manufacture of the automobiles themselves, had to be manufactured within the factory. Mr. Moolgaokar, as Mr. Maira illustrates, succeeded beyond even the skeptic’s wildest imagination. The Pune factory was described as the second Taj Mahal by former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and played host to innumerable foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Mr. Moolgaokar wanted his factories to resemble ‘German hospitals’ in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
Mr. Moolgaokar’s appetite for achieving the impossible and capacity for overcoming the insurmountable came to the fore in a resplendent and lambent fashion when the Government of India threw open the doors for foreign automobile manufacturers to manufacture and produce Light Commercial Vehicles (“LCVs”) in India. Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda, took up the offer of the Government with undiminished glee. These were the companies that had made quite a dent in the fortunes of General Motors when they entered and penetrated the US market. This was in spite of General Motors spending hordes of money in a counteractive strategy titled “Project Saturn.” The Tata Group led by Mr. Moolgaokar set up their own “Project Jupiter.” “It provided inspiration for the symbiotic cooperation amongst all departments which was essential to make Project Jupiter successful. Project Jupiter was successful. A new, Indian-designed and produced LCV, the Tata 407, was ready for sales within eighteen months. Soon, thousands were running across the country. TELCO’S market share of LCVs reached 70 per cent, squeezing all the Japanese into only 30 per cent of the market share. In fact, within a few years, three of the Japanese companies closed their production in India. Only one survived the onslaught of the 407.”
“The Learning Factory” also recounts some exemplary instances of unbelievable altruism displayed by the Tata Group. J.R.D. Tata and Sumant Moolgaokar, standing shoulder to shoulder on a platform of the Munich railway station in 1946 accepted the board of Kraus Maffei’s offer to train Indian engineers in Jamshedpur after the war, in return for homes in Jamshedpur for Kraus Maffei’s engineers and their families, whose lives had been shattered by the devastation of Germany by the Allied Forces. The German company after a few years was shell shocked to receive a letter from the Tatas requesting for a bill in consideration for the technical services rendered by the German engineers.
“The Learning Factory” contains a few more examples of the nature as alluded above. It also provides the reader the lessons imparted to Mr. Maira throughout his twenty five year association with the Tata Group by his leaders. Although making for a pleasant and feel good read, there is this intuitive feeling that the book has left out more than it has contained.
However, Mr. Maira’s book leaves the reader a tad bit unsatisfied when the covers come down on it. The structure of the book itself takes the form of a scatter graph. Instances and incidents are repeated across Chapters, thereby frustrating the reader. For example, an account of how Mr. Maira and his collection of cheap trinkets (souvenirs from Singapore) were allowed to pass through Customs Duty, after a senior authority accepted him for his word, regarding the amount spent on them, just because he was from the Tata Group of companies, gets an elongated, and avoidable mention in more than one Chapter. As does the stellar efforts expended by Mr. Moolgaokar in transforming a barren landscape allocated to the Tatas in Pune for their factory, into a dense ecological foliage, whose confines was deemed safe even by a leopard which choose to birth its cub under safe cover of such greenery. This particular episode has also been mentioned by another Tata veteran, Syamal Gupta in his book, “Quintessentially Tatas”.
The book is more a revelation of Mr. Maira’s own experience with some of the chieftains acknowledged to be titans of the Tata Group, rather than a legacy of the Group itself. The narrative stops in the year 1989. Readers will remember that India’s economic fortunes and reputation as a nation to be reckoned with took off like a whirlwind following the liberalization efforts initiated in 1991 and thereafter. Hence there is a total absence of contemporaneous analysis and dissection of the ‘Tata way of life.’ Hence controversial aspects such as the imbroglio surrounding the Cyrus Mistry saga, and the easing away of entrenched personalities such as Russi Mody from the management, are conspicuously absent. Instead what the reader is treated to are instances of successful turned around strategies such as the Tatab joint venture with a Malaysian local entity and the Tata-Daimler-Benz collaboration which resulted ultimately in trucks being manufactured within India of the same quality and precision that hitherto represented the sole preserve of the German company.
Mr. Maira pays unabashed and unashamed homage to the late Sumit Moolgaokar. This book in fact is more a testimony to the greatness of Moolgaokar than an overview of the Tata Group and its ethos. Not that this leaves reason for anyone to complain. Mr. Moolgaokar is undoubtedly one of the greatest ever visionaries that this country has had the privilege to grace, and his endeavours will remain immortalized in the lexicon of Indian industrial ingenuity and innovation. As Mr. Maira holds forth, Mr. Moolgaokar is, without any debate, acknowledged as the brain behind Tata Motors, formerly known as the Tata Engineering and Locomotive Company (TELCO) and of which he was the Chief Executive; he also donned the mantle of the Vice Chairman of Tata Steel. An indefatigable entrepreneurial spirt made Mr. Moolgaokar conceptualise from scratch a factory at Pune that manufactured trucks, vans, coaches, buses military vehicles, passenger cars, sports cars and construction equipment. Mr. Moolgaokar termed this plant, “The Learning Factory”, since an absence of talent as well as restrictions on import of equipment during a draconian exchange control regime ensured that all precision equipment to be used in the manufacture of the automobiles themselves, had to be manufactured within the factory. Mr. Moolgaokar, as Mr. Maira illustrates, succeeded beyond even the skeptic’s wildest imagination. The Pune factory was described as the second Taj Mahal by former Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi, and played host to innumerable foreign dignitaries and heads of state. Mr. Moolgaokar wanted his factories to resemble ‘German hospitals’ in terms of hygiene and cleanliness.
Mr. Moolgaokar’s appetite for achieving the impossible and capacity for overcoming the insurmountable came to the fore in a resplendent and lambent fashion when the Government of India threw open the doors for foreign automobile manufacturers to manufacture and produce Light Commercial Vehicles (“LCVs”) in India. Japanese manufacturers Toyota, Nissan, Mitsubishi and Mazda, took up the offer of the Government with undiminished glee. These were the companies that had made quite a dent in the fortunes of General Motors when they entered and penetrated the US market. This was in spite of General Motors spending hordes of money in a counteractive strategy titled “Project Saturn.” The Tata Group led by Mr. Moolgaokar set up their own “Project Jupiter.” “It provided inspiration for the symbiotic cooperation amongst all departments which was essential to make Project Jupiter successful. Project Jupiter was successful. A new, Indian-designed and produced LCV, the Tata 407, was ready for sales within eighteen months. Soon, thousands were running across the country. TELCO’S market share of LCVs reached 70 per cent, squeezing all the Japanese into only 30 per cent of the market share. In fact, within a few years, three of the Japanese companies closed their production in India. Only one survived the onslaught of the 407.”
“The Learning Factory” also recounts some exemplary instances of unbelievable altruism displayed by the Tata Group. J.R.D. Tata and Sumant Moolgaokar, standing shoulder to shoulder on a platform of the Munich railway station in 1946 accepted the board of Kraus Maffei’s offer to train Indian engineers in Jamshedpur after the war, in return for homes in Jamshedpur for Kraus Maffei’s engineers and their families, whose lives had been shattered by the devastation of Germany by the Allied Forces. The German company after a few years was shell shocked to receive a letter from the Tatas requesting for a bill in consideration for the technical services rendered by the German engineers.
“The Learning Factory” contains a few more examples of the nature as alluded above. It also provides the reader the lessons imparted to Mr. Maira throughout his twenty five year association with the Tata Group by his leaders. Although making for a pleasant and feel good read, there is this intuitive feeling that the book has left out more than it has contained.
February 11, 2021
This is a book about the house of TATAs - rightfully described as Nation Builders. It is almost incomprehensible to articulate what India as a nation would be like without the Group.
The book predominantly covers the time of the association of the author with the TATA Group - during the legendary J R D Tata's leadership of the group.
Another leader who is covered amply is Sumant Moolgaokar - the chief exec of TATA Motors (Telco as it was called then) and the vice chairman of TATA Steel.
It is a quick read and through anecdotal stories depicts what made the TATAs different - whether it be the respect they carried, their vision of making India globally competitive, their foresightedness in being community builders, the way they respect human dignity - you name it!
Sharing some of the stories here
- The TATA Group after world war 2, had got German technologists to Jamshedpur to train the people there. The only condition was to provide them with food and a roof over their head. Post Independence and once things normalised in Germany, the TATA Group actually tried to remunerate the group (KraussMaffei) which had effectively loaned it's employees.
- How the leaders at TATA always believed that all rules applied across the board. When JRD was stopped to attend a luncheon at TATA Motors because he was not dressed as per the guidelines, instead of berating the security, he just walked back gracefully!
- The TATA Group actually helped Singapore to train it's people on complex technologies after it became independent.
- There are ample examples of the trust that the TATA name carries - from something signed by the TATA Group chairman on a TATA letterhead being treated as more than a bank guarantee, to custom officers not checking the bags of TATA group employees returning from foreign trips, to the Parents of brides back in the day treating men working at TATA Motors in Pune as men who are honest and trustworthy
- How the TATA Motors plant at Pune with a mindset of not only creating a world class manufacturing facility but also to ensure that it creates people with high level of skill sets with wage structures to incentivise up-skilling rather than production numbers, of planting a lot of trees and turning the barren land into a lush green scene.
- The TATA Motors plant was referred as the Taj Mahal of Modern India with many foreign delegates including it in their itinerary. From the top management to the shopfloor team members the focus was on learning to learn.
- The TATA Leadership always motivated the people they led to do and achieve things which were initially thought out of bounds and backed them as they took their decisions and pursued those goals.
- Giving one example of how far sighted were the TATA Group leaders and how they could think holistically: There was a huge gate built on the facility at TATA Motors when there was no plant, there was a training institute and a few hostels till then. Everyone started to think of it as a folly and chastised it as Moolgaokar's folly. He had the vision that public buildings swell people passing through them with pride (which in this case would be predominantly TATA Group employees), motivate them to achieve greater things as they will be inspired by the pride and it turned that once the plant got built the gate looked in proportion as well.
- TATA group always cared about the community they operated in - whether it be environmentally or via self help groups to create additional employment opportunities for the family members. Such was their impact that they suffered the least due to labour unions. Infact the one time the plant had to be closed because of labour issues, the family members of the employees ensured that all people were back in the plant in less than a week and the production returned back to normal. Such is the goodwill of TATAs.
There are multiple such stories in the book, and it is hard for me to not write them but I will stop sharing the individual stories here. It is a worthwhile read for anyone remotely interested in creating a positive impact via their corporate work.
TATAs are visionaries, men with the foresightedness and the sincerity to remain to those visions, and the discipline required to follow through with the plans to ensure that they create a huge positive impact on those around.
The book predominantly covers the time of the association of the author with the TATA Group - during the legendary J R D Tata's leadership of the group.
Another leader who is covered amply is Sumant Moolgaokar - the chief exec of TATA Motors (Telco as it was called then) and the vice chairman of TATA Steel.
It is a quick read and through anecdotal stories depicts what made the TATAs different - whether it be the respect they carried, their vision of making India globally competitive, their foresightedness in being community builders, the way they respect human dignity - you name it!
Sharing some of the stories here
- The TATA Group after world war 2, had got German technologists to Jamshedpur to train the people there. The only condition was to provide them with food and a roof over their head. Post Independence and once things normalised in Germany, the TATA Group actually tried to remunerate the group (KraussMaffei) which had effectively loaned it's employees.
- How the leaders at TATA always believed that all rules applied across the board. When JRD was stopped to attend a luncheon at TATA Motors because he was not dressed as per the guidelines, instead of berating the security, he just walked back gracefully!
- The TATA Group actually helped Singapore to train it's people on complex technologies after it became independent.
- There are ample examples of the trust that the TATA name carries - from something signed by the TATA Group chairman on a TATA letterhead being treated as more than a bank guarantee, to custom officers not checking the bags of TATA group employees returning from foreign trips, to the Parents of brides back in the day treating men working at TATA Motors in Pune as men who are honest and trustworthy
- How the TATA Motors plant at Pune with a mindset of not only creating a world class manufacturing facility but also to ensure that it creates people with high level of skill sets with wage structures to incentivise up-skilling rather than production numbers, of planting a lot of trees and turning the barren land into a lush green scene.
- The TATA Motors plant was referred as the Taj Mahal of Modern India with many foreign delegates including it in their itinerary. From the top management to the shopfloor team members the focus was on learning to learn.
- The TATA Leadership always motivated the people they led to do and achieve things which were initially thought out of bounds and backed them as they took their decisions and pursued those goals.
- Giving one example of how far sighted were the TATA Group leaders and how they could think holistically: There was a huge gate built on the facility at TATA Motors when there was no plant, there was a training institute and a few hostels till then. Everyone started to think of it as a folly and chastised it as Moolgaokar's folly. He had the vision that public buildings swell people passing through them with pride (which in this case would be predominantly TATA Group employees), motivate them to achieve greater things as they will be inspired by the pride and it turned that once the plant got built the gate looked in proportion as well.
- TATA group always cared about the community they operated in - whether it be environmentally or via self help groups to create additional employment opportunities for the family members. Such was their impact that they suffered the least due to labour unions. Infact the one time the plant had to be closed because of labour issues, the family members of the employees ensured that all people were back in the plant in less than a week and the production returned back to normal. Such is the goodwill of TATAs.
There are multiple such stories in the book, and it is hard for me to not write them but I will stop sharing the individual stories here. It is a worthwhile read for anyone remotely interested in creating a positive impact via their corporate work.
TATAs are visionaries, men with the foresightedness and the sincerity to remain to those visions, and the discipline required to follow through with the plans to ensure that they create a huge positive impact on those around.
November 4, 2021
One of the Best books I have read on Tatas, showing the mindset of Arun Maira who was apprehensive when joining Tata Administrative Services just as a college fresher.What things he learnt in each and every company he was moved to .The values & ethics he learnt when at the Tata's where even a worker was made to feel that he belonged to the Family of Tatas,who themselves became one who using their own ideas developed an internal business which would only benefit for the growth of the company .The contribution of the Tatas to help and develop companies in other countries taking risk for them themselves.Ending with Maira leaving the Tata Group for his daughter ,despite his unwillingness but convinced by JRD Tata himself to do so for his daughter.
A very good book for management students, to know how the difficult situations were handled by the company seniors involving everyone which is seen in anecdotes mentioned in the book to know why it's rightly called " The Learning Factory " which was learnt by the Author himself.
A very good book for management students, to know how the difficult situations were handled by the company seniors involving everyone which is seen in anecdotes mentioned in the book to know why it's rightly called " The Learning Factory " which was learnt by the Author himself.
August 3, 2022
One of the best books I have read about the history of Tata Steel and TELCO. I found the short stories very very good to read, engaging, and most importantly inspiring. Looking at what the Tata group is today it is hard to imagine the hardship and challenges that JRD Tata and Sumnat Moolgaonkar took upon themselves to create India's first steel plant and promote Make in India. Really amazing, stores and facts that were totally unknown to me - such as how Tata's helped set up a tool room and mechanical training school in Singapore; also Air India training the first crew of Singapore airlines. The biggest takeaway for me as an entrepreneur was how far-sighted Sumant Moolgaonkar was in his thinking and how he built such institutions based on strong values and ethics. Also, a very important lesson learnt that to grow one has to invest and train people who are the pillars of success of any organisation. One of the best books I have read this year.
November 8, 2020
The book seemed more a collection of essays written at different times, with considerable reiteration of facts and settings before coming to the actual anecdotes itself.
Overall I still enjoyed the book, it's a quick read, and there are some takeaways from it. Although, I wish the author delved deeper into some of the incidences he recounts. As another reviewer mentioned, it feels that he's left out a lot more than he's talked about.
Overall I still enjoyed the book, it's a quick read, and there are some takeaways from it. Although, I wish the author delved deeper into some of the incidences he recounts. As another reviewer mentioned, it feels that he's left out a lot more than he's talked about.
April 7, 2021
Simply amazing book
Style of writing is so compelling that you finish reading in just a few hours spread over a couple of days
Learned a lot about Tata Group specially Sumant Moolgaonkar, JRD & Ratan Tata
As an Indian, I felt proud that Tata Group is an Indian company
Many things I did not know about Jamshedpur & Pune Plants though I visited them many times
Style of writing is so compelling that you finish reading in just a few hours spread over a couple of days
Learned a lot about Tata Group specially Sumant Moolgaonkar, JRD & Ratan Tata
As an Indian, I felt proud that Tata Group is an Indian company
Many things I did not know about Jamshedpur & Pune Plants though I visited them many times
February 7, 2024
A great book in order to understand the journey, growth, principles and work etichs of the Tatas. As a B-School student in my second year, my curiosity piqued and I felt its improtant to know and learn about the evolution of one of the finest companies in India that has set the becnhmark for excellence and is known to treat its employess with respect, dignity and compassion. A wonderful read.
May 2, 2023
If you are upto date with contemporary history and current affairs in India, you may like me find this book a waste of time.
Outside of a few select sentences and paragraphs with interesting trivia, I really felt my time wasted. Felt like a puff-piece honestly.
Outside of a few select sentences and paragraphs with interesting trivia, I really felt my time wasted. Felt like a puff-piece honestly.
October 2, 2021
I respect to the TATA grown to more heights. A must read book for every Indian. Lots of learning. I learned more about TATA through this book.
March 2, 2024
This book lets you understand the magnitude to which TATA has contributed towards India’s industrial revolution. Vividly described incidents, with some thought provoking, practical, sometimes out of the box thinking from TATA management. Althought a tad short if you are looking for numbers and details but brings out the humane side of TATA very well.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews