This is why Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrashekharan is called man of grit and perseverance

New Delhi: N Chandrashekharan's journey so far speaks of his mettle and spirit of a fighter who knew how to master the craftsmanship of getting into details. Born in 1963, Chandra, as he is universally called, along with his two brothers, would walk 3 km to his Tamil medium government school in a small village called Mohanur in Namakkal in Tamil Nadu.

He obtained a master’s degree in computer applications from the Regional Engineering College in Trichy in 1986. From the time he joined TCS in a campus interview to the dawning of the new day for him as he won the trust of the Tata Board who named him the Chairman of Tata Sons, has displayed perseverance and grit.

“He was someone seen as a leader right from the initial stages. He joined in the 1980s and though several other talented leaders joined at the same time, he stood out,” former TCS CFO S Mahalingam, and one of Chandra’s first bosses, told ET. “The spark was there from the beginning. It was a career built in a very short time and very few people could have Former TCS vice-chairman S Ramadorai recalls spotting Chandra in 1993 as a bright young talent. “Feedback (about Chandra) came from several people-…clients, colleagues,” said Ramadorai, who attributes “the ability to build world class teams and value systems” as Chandra’s key strength. 

TCS flourished under Chandra, curtsey his integrated outlook and knack of getting into details and sailing out of turbulent times. Under his watch, TCS’ revenues have tripled from $6.3 billion to over $16.5 billion. The company is India’s largest private sector employer with 3,70,000 employees

Perhaps the one person who knows him better than most people is his brother N Srinivasan, Director of Finance at the Chennai-based Murugappa Group. Describing him as a “hard working and committed person”, Srinivasan attributes Chandra’s elevation to “traits like integrity, passion, and a firm understanding of the Tata values”.

“Look at his value-creation track record and the scale of operations he manages at TCS along with his personal leadership traits and the respect he generates,” The Economic Times quoted another official involved in the selection process of Tata Son's Chairman.