This case is about the Tata Group, one of the leading business houses in India, a key emerging market. The group had a long-standing reputation for ethical leadership and was well known for its corporate social responsibility and principles such as the "Tatas don't bribe" and the "Tatas don't indulge in politics".Under the leadership of Ratan Tata, the group carried forward this legacy and consolidated its businesses further in India while also acquiring a global footprint. India, like many markets in transition, was passing through a period when excessive power was concentrated in the hands of the political elite and their cronies.

This had led to a government-dominated economy characterized by nepotism, patronage, and corruption. According to some experts, most Indian entrepreneurs operated in "oligopolistic markets and in sectors where the government had given them special privileges". Despite operating in this market, the Tata Group had managed to build its empire emphasizing the twin pillars of "trust" and "integrity" - so much so that these had become a key aspect of the Tata brand. However, in 2010, the group and its leader Ratan Tata were dragged into the infamous 2G scam that broke out in India. Investigations into the scam in the fast growing telecom sector revealed deep-seated corruption in the country. There was quite a bit of evidence of corporate wrongdoing, and many corporate houses including the Tata Group came under the scanner.