The Tata Group comprises 93 operating companies in seven business sectors: information systems and communications; engineering; materials; services; energy; consumer products; and chemicals. The Group was founded by Jamsetji Tata in the last quarter of the 19th century, a period when India had just set out on the road to gaining independence from British rule. Consequently, Jamsetji Tata and those who followed him aligned business opportunities with the objective of nation building. This approach remains enshrined in the Group's ethos to this day.

The Tata Group is one of India's largest and most respected business conglomerates, with revenues in 2004-05 of $17.8 billion (Rs 799,118 million), the equivalent of about 2.8 per cent of the country's GDP. Tata companies together employ some 215,000 people. The Group's 32 publicly listed enterprises — among them standout names such as Tata Steel, Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors and Tata Tea — have a combined market capitalisation that is the highest among Indian business houses in the private sector, and a shareholder base of over 2 million. The Tata Group has operations in more than 40 countries across six continents, and its companies export products and services to 140 nations.

The Tata family of companies shares a set of five core values: integrity, understanding, excellence, unity and responsibility. These values, which have been part of the Group's beliefs and convictions from its earliest days, continue to guide and drive the business decisions of Tata companies. The Group and its enterprises have been steadfast and distinctive in their adherence to business ethics and their commitment to corporate social responsibility. This is a legacy that has earned the Group the trust of many millions of stakeholders in a measure few business houses anywhere in the world can match.