Mumbai: Shareholders' banter with TCS top management and the usual humour was missing at the software giant's virtual AGM which was marred by some technical snags nettling investors. Technical glitches at times required the meeting operator to make interventions while many investors were upset about not being able to come on the screen.
One such event was when a slight nudge from the meeting operator to switch on the video got 60-something Vijaylakshmi Narendra and her rich collection of books in the background live to everybody at the AGM, the first such virtual congregation of shareholders to transact mandatory business.
The TCS AGM, with the company's key personnel, including chairman N Chandrasekaran and chief executive Rajesh Gopinathan seated at a safe distance from him in a south Mumbai office of TCS, was a marked departure from the jamborees of the past.
For starters, the small talk and banter between the shareholders and the chairman were completely missing.
There were no jokes on the chairman's choice of ties or shirt colour, and the more cheesy-sounding ones like cheek dimples that have made many a chairman blush were also absent.
Instead, there was the possibility of screen-time with the company brass, with many inquisitive shareholders repeatedly asking the reasons for them not being seen on the screen and some going public with their annoyance.
One of them who spoke towards the end rued the choice of platform used which struggled to get the faces up and advised the management to hire a controversial app as an alternative.
A total of 1,283 people had logged onto the virtual meeting, almost the same or more than the ones who attend it usually at a hall in south Mumbai.
Among the attendees was the company's founder chief executive, 96-year-old F C Kohli, who has not missed a single AGM till date, its current chairman N Chandrasekaran said.
The proceedings were webcast on the NSDL platform for others to watch and Chandrasekaran also said that the same will be available on the company website for future reference.
At times, there were difficulties in patching, requiring the meeting operator - a new entity on the block - to make frequent interventions like the one to Narendra.
A 60-something man, a veteran of Tata Group AGMs, tried to make up for all the missing humour.
Sitting in a small room, he first showed a blue and white flag on his wall and wryly asked if they had such flags. Patchy network connection made him confirm if he is audible and can be seen, to which Chandrasekaran replied saying his long beard is also noticeable.
"Yes sir, there is no money left for shaving," came the prompt response from the shareholder, with a caveat that he never misses an opportunity to poke fun.
One such event was when a slight nudge from the meeting operator to switch on the video got 60-something Vijaylakshmi Narendra and her rich collection of books in the background live to everybody at the AGM, the first such virtual congregation of shareholders to transact mandatory business.
Narendra, the third among 27 shareholders who spoke this evening, congratulated the company for having such a meeting and asked a question about the contingency plans which the company has made to help limit the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, which also necessitated the online AGM.
The TCS AGM, with the company's key personnel, including chairman N Chandrasekaran and chief executive Rajesh Gopinathan seated at a safe distance from him in a south Mumbai office of TCS, was a marked departure from the jamborees of the past.
For starters, the small talk and banter between the shareholders and the chairman were completely missing.
There were no jokes on the chairman's choice of ties or shirt colour, and the more cheesy-sounding ones like cheek dimples that have made many a chairman blush were also absent.
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Instead, there was the possibility of screen-time with the company brass, with many inquisitive shareholders repeatedly asking the reasons for them not being seen on the screen and some going public with their annoyance.
One of them who spoke towards the end rued the choice of platform used which struggled to get the faces up and advised the management to hire a controversial app as an alternative.
A total of 1,283 people had logged onto the virtual meeting, almost the same or more than the ones who attend it usually at a hall in south Mumbai.
Among the attendees was the company's founder chief executive, 96-year-old F C Kohli, who has not missed a single AGM till date, its current chairman N Chandrasekaran said.
The proceedings were webcast on the NSDL platform for others to watch and Chandrasekaran also said that the same will be available on the company website for future reference.
At times, there were difficulties in patching, requiring the meeting operator - a new entity on the block - to make frequent interventions like the one to Narendra.
A 60-something man, a veteran of Tata Group AGMs, tried to make up for all the missing humour.
Sitting in a small room, he first showed a blue and white flag on his wall and wryly asked if they had such flags. Patchy network connection made him confirm if he is audible and can be seen, to which Chandrasekaran replied saying his long beard is also noticeable.
"Yes sir, there is no money left for shaving," came the prompt response from the shareholder, with a caveat that he never misses an opportunity to poke fun.
