Deals by Tata Group: Not always a smooth landing

TETLEY, 2000: Tetley was three times larger than Tata Tea when it was acquired, creating one of the world’s largest tea companies. But it couldn’t take the challenge to global beverage giants such as Coca-Cola and Pepsi Co.

CMC, 2001: A listed public-sector IT services firm, it was acquired by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), the biggest cash generator of the Tata Group. It was later absorbed into TCS.

VIDESH SANCHAR NIGAM LTD (VSNL), 2002: Now called Tata Communications, the company today carries around 30% of the world’s internet routes through submarine cables.


NATSTEEL, 2004: A major overseas acquisition by Tata Steel, the group sold the business this month to Singapore’s TopTip Holding. TYCO, 2004: A major acquisition under VSNL, Tyco was a global leader in submarine cable systems.

CORUS, 2007: Then a relatively small player in the global steel market, Tata Steel bought Corus, which was four times its size, but took on heavy debt in the process. The group has been struggling with its European steel business.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER, 2008:

The most audacious acquisition by the Tata Group, it marked the peak of its global aspirations. JLR accounts for a bulk of Tata Motors’ revenue but the luxury carmaker has failed to turn in consistent profits. USHA MARTIN (STEEL BUSINESS), 2019: Tata Sponge Iron, a subsidiary of Tata Steel, bought the steel business of Usha Martin for over Rs 4,000 crore. CUREFIT, 2021: Tata invested $75 million in the fitness startup and hired its founder Mukesh Bansal as president of Tata Digital.

BIGBASKET, 2021: The first of the big acquisitions under current Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran, it’s a key element of ambitious plans to create a Tata super app. Tata Digital bought a 64% stake in the ecommerce platform at a post-money valuation of $2 billion, pitting it against rivals like Reliance Retail, Amazon and Walmart.

1MG, 2021: Close on the heels of the BigBasket acquisition, Tata Digital acquired a majority stake in online pharmacy 1mg, putting it in direct competition with Reliance-owned Netmeds.