Can you imagine a non-Tata heading Tata Sons? Is an Infosys without NRN an idea you can digest easily? Do you think Rishad Premji will ultimately replace his father at the helm of Wipro?

These are indeed very interesting times for India Inc. Some of the biggest companies are looking for people to succeed the men-in-charge, and there are committees which have been tasked with the difficult decision to choose The One.

The industry has come a long way from the time when business was inherited-from grandfather to son to grandson. Now a Rishad will have to go up the ladder, one step at a time, learn on the way, and see whether he can end up at the top. Elsewhere, Shravin Mittal has joined Bharti Airtel International. While there will always be speculation whether these son’s of famous fathers will ” inherit” the business in the end, there is no denying the fact that one needs to prove himself to be worthy of the honor.Ratan Tata is looking forward to his retirement- so that he can finally do the things that he has always wanted to do. But before that he would like to take his successor through the paces, and ensure there are no hiccups later on.

Meanwhile, HR people everywhere are grappling with having to find the right people who can fit into the senior management and middle management roles. While there is no dearth of people at the entry level, there is a paucity of right talent which can occupy positions at the middle and senior levels.

There is a different succession planning happening at the centre. A recent India Today Survey found that the Indian public is ready for Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi. But may be Rahul himself is not yet ready for the top job. The incumbent Mr.Singh said yesterday that he has no immediate plans of stepping down. So while India prepares for the inevitability of Rahul being a PM at one end, its great to see India Inc. going forward with well laid out succession plans- where merit, and not your surname, will count more.

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