This paper describes the many important events in the quality revolution that has taken place in Japan, the USA and the effect that they have had on the Indian industry with specific reference to the Tata Group. VSNL, a Tata group company started on the road to BE in February 2003, and has done some early work. (VSNL was renamed as Tata Communications). Similarly Tata Steel started its movement of TQM in 1988 and Business Excellence in 1992/93. The author has had the privilege of participating and providing leadership to the processes in both these companies, in addition to other companies in the Tata group and outside. This paper is a result of study, practice, consulting experience, involvement and deep engagement in the movement in over two decades. Beginning with a brief description of the evolution of the TQM movement in Japan in 1950, the paper goes on to present a summarized account of the happenings in the Business Excellence movement which was kicked off in the USA in 1987. The paper then summarizes the key features of the Malcolm Baldrige Model for Business Excellence, and follows it up with an account of how the movement was started in the Tata Group. The purpose of the paper is to emphasize that present practices in high performing companies in India and elsewhere is significantly connected to the developments in the fields of TQM and BE. Indian companies may like to follow the example of their colleagues as well as their foreign counterparts in aligning their operations along TQM / BE lines.