Tata International Africa contributes funds to War Games Centre in Jinja Uganda

Tata International Africa has developed a learning and development work related skills training course for technical students, which it plans to roll out across 13 African countries over the next year. “We firmly believe that learning and development is essential for people to gain skills in order to progress in their career and even in life. Importantly, it helps build successful communities and thriving economies – all underpinning Tata’s ethos of the upliftment of people and communities,” says Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. A skills and development training course to uplift skill levels of the technical workforce was set in motion. The training team at Tata International Africa created a framework of questionnaires on the needs and competency levels of technicians, for both theory and practical modules. During the creation of the framework, inputs were taken from various stakeholders such as workshop managers, country aftersales heads and training managers. The framework was finally reviewed by the various business unit heads of Aftersales, Human Resources and Business Excellence (Distribution). A pilot project on Skills Assessment and Gap Analysis for workshop technicians was recently conducted at the Tata International Africa Lagos, Nigeria workshop. A total of 37 technicians (including contract staff) were taken through the assessment tests. Competency was defined in six categories in both theory and practical tests. Both tests were mapped in accordance with a truck model sold in that particular country. The categories are: Electrical / Electronic Diagnostics Clutch and Braking system Transmission and Axles Engine Analysis General Servicing “We received very positive feedback from all the participants who were eager to enhance their skills and to put their learnings from the sessions into practice. “The training modules are currently being fine-tuned. We will also be creating new ones during the course of 2020, which will be customised for all 13 African countries Tata International Africa operates in. We look forward to rolling out the competency assessment test and training modules to all countries in the next 12 months,” concludes Brand.

Tata International Africa Ghana recently played its part in the midst of the COVID-19 global crisis. The entire team from the Accra and Tamale branches worked together to deliver food parcels, face masks and hot meals to members of the Tamale community. All this was possible due to the efforts of the Tata International Africa Ghana employees who contributed money from their own pockets which was added to Tata International’s donation of $500 (US Dollars). “The employees and management of our Ghana office saw it fitting to come together and focus their efforts on ameliorating the pain and hardships of the vulnerable in their society. Food parcels containing; rice, pasta, oil, fish cans, tomatoes, beans and other non-perishables were distributed to the farmers of the Tamale region, where most of the farmers of the country are concentrated,” said Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. “Witnessing the hope of many, especially the vulnerable who have been affected by the global crisis, touched us as an organisation. It is because of such dire circumstances that we felt compelled to lend a hand to the people most affected during these times. Seeing our team members working side by side to better the lives of this community, made it even more impactful. Their unselfish willingness to go the extra mile by giving of their own time and money has truly touched our hearts as an organisation,” adds Brand. The distribution of the food parcels was one of two projects that the team managed on the day, with the other being a tribute to the community from the Accra team. Again, personal contributions were utilised by the team to purchase 200 face masks, prepared 100 hot meals and 100 food parcels to the homeless and vulnerable people from the community. In total, the Accra and Tamale branches were collectively able to distribute 200 food parcels. This is only the beginning for the team, as they have committed themselves to facilitating such humanitarian efforts on a monthly basis, as and when they are able to. “No words can explain the feeling that comes with giving back. I am humbled and proud of the team and congratulate them on their unselfish commitment at this time,” concludes Brand.

Tata International Africa is proud to announce that they have signed an agreement with John Deere Construction & Forestry products as the authorised distributor for John Deere Construction & Forestry products in Ghana and Nigeria. The addition of John Deere Construction equipment will further enhance Tata’s ability to fully meet the customer needs in both countries, where the company currently sells and supports the John Deere Agricultural Equipment range. “Tata Africa has a solid reputation of supporting John Deere products sold in Africa. Our commitment to customer support through our UPTIME strategy throughout the region can only benefit John Deere owners in these countries,” said Len Brand, CEO of Tata International Africa. “Tata Africa has proven that it is recognised as a leading company to be aligned to, not only as a distributor or dealer for OEM’s, but also as a premium supplier and dedicated aftermarket support and service to our retail customers in Africa. We are committed to the company’s vision of building and sustaining relationships with cooperation and trust. “We will be selling and supporting the full line of John Deere Construction & Forestry Equipment, including the iconic John Deere excavators, a first for Africa,” said Brand. The two brands boast a long and proud history. John Deere is a leading manufacturer of agriculture, construction and forest equipment with manufacturing facilities worldwide. Tata has been operating on the continent for more than 40 years.

The challenge for many international automotive brands across Africa is finding new ways to grow in a competitive market. In an interview with CNN’s Eleni Giokos on Marketplace Africa, we discussed how diversifying on auto financing and auto shops partnerships across the continent have paid off. At the heart of every interaction our team undertakes we are committed to building a prosperous Africa for all. Whether it is adopting advances in technology, supporting communities through outreach programmes, upskilling mechanics or providing vehicles that are made to last under trying and tough African conditions, we remain committed to Africa. It was indeed a privilege to be able to share our Uptime vision and how the turnaround strategy implemented four years ago, has borne fruit. Click here to view the interview: https://edition.cnn.com/videos/business/2020/09/21/marketplace-africa-automotive-parts-tata-motors-brand-spc.cnn/video/playlists/marketplace-africa-pre-roll/