Colin Seeley


Book Description

This is the first volume of the two-volume autobiography of Colin Seeley, a famed British motorcycle racer and builder. The book is full of anecdotes, escapades, personalities and memorable descriptions on and off the track which give a fantastic insight into the racing and technical achievements over three great decades in motorcycling history.




A Century of Trust


Book Description

Long Before India Dreamt Of Industrial Self-Reliance, Jamsetji Tata Envisioned India S Biggest Industrial Enterprise Its First Steel Plant. Long Before The Industrialized Nations Instituted Worker-Friendly Policies, An Indian Company Instituted An Eight-Hour Day For Its Workers. Long Before The Term Corporate Social Responsibility Was Coined, A Company In India Chose To Give Up To 14 Per Cent Of Its Profits To Charity. That Indian Company Was None Other Than Tata Steel. Established In 1907, The Tata Iron And Steel Company Was Born Of The Vision Of Jamsetji Tata, An Industrialist And Patriot, Who Foresaw India S Future As An Industrialized Power. Those That Believed In His Vision Braved Wild Terrain, Unimaginable Danger And Even Risked Their Fortunes To Build India S First Great Steel Works. From Then To Now, Tata Steel Has Traversed A Long And Uneven Road Encompassing Exceptional Success And Near Bankruptcy To Emerge As India S Largest Steel Producer. It Is Now 100 Years Old And, With Its Takeover Of The Anglo-Dutch Giant Corus, It Has Become The Sixth Largest Steel Producer In The World. In This Objective And Well-Researched Biography, Rudrangshu Mukherjee Brings To Life The Story Of This Remarkable Company From Its Early Days To Its Maturity, Its Struggle As Also Its Triumphs, And Its Eventual Transformation Into A Global Giant. In The Process, He Also Chronicles Critical Aspects Of India S Social And Political History: The Role Of Government In Business, The Restrictions Of Doing Business In A Planned Economy, And The Role Of Business In Society. He Also Provides Insights Into The Remarkable Social Contributions Of Tata Steel In The Areas Of Labour Welfare And Legislation, Education, Health And The Arts. This In-Depth History, Though Told From A Corporate Viewpoint, Is An Inspiring Narrative Of How The Dedication, Ingenuity And Hard Work Of Many Came To Create India S First Great Industrial Enterprise. An Absorbing And Inspirational Biography, It Is A Gripping Account Of Patriotism, Enterprise And Dedication.







The House of Tata Meets the Second Industrial Revolution


Book Description

This monograph aims to analyze the economic and business history of colonial India from a corporate perspective by clarifying the historical role of institutional developments based on archival evidence of a representative enterprise. The perspective is distinctively unique in that it highlights the salience of corporate-level institutional responses to explain the causes of colonial India’s industrial growth, in addition to two renowned perspectives focusing on government economic policy or factor endowment. One of the driving forces of India’s high growth rate since the 1980s is the expansion of modern business corporations whose origins date back to the colonial era in the mid-nineteenth century. This monograph explores the historical foundation of the growth of such corporations in colonial India, guided by a substantial collection of documents of Tata Iron and Steel Company, whose rich records have not received the due attention they have long deserved. As clarified by numerous economic and business historians of leading industrialized countries since the works of Douglass North and Alfred Chandler, this study as well proposes that the development of modern business corporations in colonial India was broadly supported by the reciprocal evolution of economic institutions and corporate organizations. Adding a new perspective to the business and economic history of colonial India, the analysis also provides an important case study of the development of corporate business in the non-Western world to the study of global business history.




Science, War and Imperialism


Book Description

Why could not the Second World War catalyse science in India as it did in the West? This is one of the central questions of this volume on the British policy towards science and technology in India. Its focus is on education, research, innovation and organisation of science in such sectors as industry, agriculture, public health and transport and communications. In the process the author comes across revealing developments where science played a crucial role: an Anglo-American tussle for dominance in the region, the clash between capitalism and socialism, and the entry of neo-colonialism triggering Cold War in Asia. Many faces of humanity and science are on view --- British scientists concerned about India’s development, and Indian scientists planning for national reconstruction. Of interest to all those aiming for a better understanding of the impact of science, war and international influences on the socio-economic progress in India - or other erstwhile colonies.




Thirty-three


Book Description




Chinese and Indian Business


Book Description

In recent years the phenomenal rise of the economies of China and India has led to a proliferation of academic studies. Much of the focus has been on economic performance, development strategies and the comparative advantage of the two economies. A comparative study of business as an agent of change has been lacking This volume brings together articles by leading scholars in the field of Chinese and Indian business who offer fresh perspectives on the historical antecedents of business in the two economies.










Speed at the TT Races


Book Description

For over 100 years the world's best motorcycle racers have pitted themselves against the gruelling 37-and-threequarter-mile Isle of Man Mountain Course at the annual event known worldwide simply as 'the TT'. The Tourist Trophy meeting - to give its proper name - represents perhaps the greatest challenge that the sport of motorcycle racing can offer. The top names in road racing - Collier, Wood, Duke, Hailwood, Agostini, Hislop, Jefferies, McGuinness, Hutchinson and the Dunlop dynasty - have all considered the pursuit of a Tourist Trophy to be the ultimate goal. From riding the earliest single-cylinder, belt-driven machines with outputs of under 10bhp, to coping with today's sophisticated four-cylinder machines giving well over 200bhp, generations of riders have risked their lives to satisfy the desire to go faster than the next man and to win a TT. In the process they have lifted lap speeds by almost 100mph. Exactly how that huge increase has been achieved is told within these pages, set against the background of the triumphs and the tragedies of the TT history. A comprehensive story of speed at the TT Races, superbly illustrated with over 200 colour photographs and maps.