OREANDA-NEWS. December 28, 2011. Tata Marcopolo Motors (TMML), as a part of its employee engagement initiative has launched the ‘self managed team (SMT)’ on December 26, 2011, at Dharwad. The SMT has been working very successfully in many companies. This initiative will ensure employee empowerment at the grassroots level, improved employee morale, increased efficiency and a culture change in the overall approach.

A brief function was held and launched at the hands of Prabir Jha, senior vice president and head, human resources, Tata Motors. While addressing the employees, Mr Jha told that in order to become the number one bus manufacturing company, there is need to have positive change in the organisation. The SMT would help in setting the path for moving in that direction. If adopted in its true sense, the SMT would create wonders at the workplace; and one should believe in the process of change. He also told that he feels proud of Tata Marcopolo whenever he see the buses plying on the road, both in India and abroad.

Mr Jha has also flagged off the rollout of the 25,000th bus dispatch from the Dharwad plant. He wished the company would achieve many such major milestones. He also performed the pooja on this occasion.

Vinay Phatak CEO, TMML, while addressing said, "The company had started with 50 persons initially, saw certain ups and downs at the initial stage, and stabilised. As the TMML family is growing rapidly in terms of the number of buses manufactured and the number of employees, we must use tools like the SMT. The management has full trust in its employees. The company can achieve the number one position only by its employees' contribution. The SMT is going to be the work practice in future." He added that he felt proud that the company had achieved the 5,000th, 10,000th, 15,000th, 25,000th bus rollouts from the Dharwad plant. He also said that, recently, the company had built the G2 bus at Dharwad, which is going to be a future product of TMML.

MSRK Prasad, head, HR, gave a brief on the SMT concept. He also informed that Tata Marcopolo is the first company of Tata Motors to adopt this initiative. He also welcomed the guests and introduced them to the audience. Ajay Malhotra, head, manufacturing, TMML, gave the vote of thanks. Ramesh Bijapur, senior manager, HR, did the anchoring.