The Tata Group has recently drawn scrutiny over a listing debate, successor development, transparency at the trusts and a plane crash. Such issues warrant attention, but they need to be placed within a longer institutional arc: This is a 157-year-old enterprise shaped by cumulative decisions, leadership philosophies and governance choices across generations.

In the pursuit of agility and short-term performance, organisations often trade continuity for efficiency. One casualty of this trade-off is institutional memory. Although it is a strategic asset, most firms fail to document, transmit or protect it. Yet, for family businesses, where stewardship extends across generations and identity is inseparable from values, institutional memory is foundational.

The Tata Group exemplifies this proposition. Consider the 26/11 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, which left the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel, a symbol of Indian hospitality, under siege for nearly 60 hours. What followed was not merely a textbook case in operational resilience or crisis management, but also a masterclass in empathetic leadership, values-driven decision-making and cultural clarity. Employees did not abandon their posts. Some led guests to safety; others formed human shields. Several perished in their efforts to protect others. Lives were lost, but not principles.

The Tata Group, led then by Ratan Tata, responded with moral clarity. A dedicated Trust was established not only to support the families of the affected employees and guests, but also railway........

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