As India emerged from protectionism in the 1990s, Tata needed to grow from a huge player on the Indian stage into a significant force in world markets. The group's chairman, Ratan Tata, asked Wolff Olins to create a group brand strategy to help make that happen. Wolff Olins reviewed the businesses - almost 100 of them - that make up Tata, and recommended which should be named Tata, which should be endorsed as part of the Tata group, and which should have independent brands. Wolff Olins then created a new symbol for the group - a T and A that represent precision and the future, which could also be seen as a fountain of knowledge. The symbol was particularly designed to look good on cars, an important growth market. The new brand identity was launched in 1999, and immediately began to symbolize a new Tata for the twenty-first century. wolffolins.com