The Sir Ratan Tata Trust signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Steel on April 17, 2007, at Bombay House, Mumbai, for providing technical support to the Tata Steel Centenary Project (TSCP). The MoU, which will remain valid for a period of five years beginning April 1, 2007, was signed by Mr. H. D. Malesra, Secretary & Chief Accountant, Sir Ratan Tata Trust, and Mr. A. N. Singh, Deputy Managing Director (Corporate Services), Tata Steel.

Conceived as a part of Tata Steel's Centenary Celebrations, the company has decided to take up land and water management initiatives in pre-dominantly backward tribal blocks in the states of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Orissa. TSCP is a Rs. 100 crores mega-initiative and through this project, the company aims to positively impact the livelihood of 40,000 poor tribal households in the above mentioned states of India. The project will cover a total of 400 villages through Natural Resources based interventions. Through this project, Tata Steel hopes to create these blocks into models of excellence that can be replicated by both the Government and corporate entities working in the area of community development.

The Tata Steel Centenary Project will result in following benefits to the tribal people:

1. Creation of assured irrigation facilities for the tribals,

2. Setting up of water user co-operatives

3. Development of waste land, and

4. Promotion of horticulture and agro-forestry; encouragement in improvement of agricultural output through technological up-gradation.

As per the MoU, Tata Steel will depute Tata Steel Rural Development Society (TSRDS), Jamshedpur, as its nodal agency for implementing TSCP. Sir Ratan Tata Trust will appoint the Central India Initiative (CInI) Cell to provide technical support and overall guidance to TSCP. The CInI Cell, set up by Sir Ratan Tata Trust, will focus on issues relating to problems of livelihood of communities across the tribal belt of Central India in a comprehensive manner.

Tata Steel, through its agencies, the TSRDS, the Tata Steel Family Initiatives Foundation, Tata Steel Sports Department, Department for Community Development and Social Welfare and the Tribal Cultural Centre, is involved in massive social outreach programmes which cover the city of Jamshedpur and over 600 villages in and around its operations in the areas of income generation, health, population management, education, sports, arts and culture, civic amenities and community services, environment management, etc.

Tata Steel - Backgrounder

Established in 1907, Tata Steel is Asia's first and India's largest integrated private sector steel company. With global investments in Corus Group, NatSteel Asia, Singapore and Tata Steel, Thailand, Tata Steel's total capacity is now 27 MTPA. The Company is the second most geographically diversified steel company in the world and its steel making capacity is the fifth largest in the world. Since its inception, nearly a hundred years ago, the Company has believed that the purpose of business is to improve the quality of life of the community in which it operates. It is regarded globally as a benchmark in corporate social responsibility.

Tata Steel's commitment to its employees and the community has resulted in over 77 years of industrial harmony and sustained prosperity for the local and indigenous people. Its steel works, mines and collieries and Jamshedpur are ISO 14001 certified for environment management. The company's Jamshedpur steel works along with its Ferro Alloys and Minerals Division, have been conferred the SA 8000 certification for work conditions and improvements in the workplace - the first in the world.