Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away at the age of 86 in Mumbai late Wednesday night. He had been admitted to Breach Candy hospital on Monday for routine age-related checkups but was moved to intensive care just hours before his death.
Speculation about who would succeed Ratan Tata had been a major topic, as he had no children. The question now is: who will take over the Tata Group, a massive Rs 3,800 crore business empire?
Current Leadership and Succession
N. Chandrasekaran: Currently the Chairman of Tata Sons, Chandrasekaran took over leadership in 2017. He was previously the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and is widely praised for his steady leadership. He’s seen as the top leader in the group right now.
Though Ratan Tata reassured people in a social media post on Monday that there was no cause for concern, his hospitalisation brought renewed focus to who would lead the Tata Group next. Several potential heirs have emerged within the family and the business.
The Leading Contender: Noel Tata
Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, is seen as a strong candidate for leadership. He is the son of Naval Tata (from his second marriage) and has been involved in the Tata Group for many years. Noel has three children—Maya, Neville, and Leah Tata—who are also seen as future leaders within the conglomerate.
Leah Tata: The eldest, Leah holds a Master’s degree in Marketing from IE Business School in Madrid and joined the Tata Group in 2006. She’s currently Vice President at The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL).
Maya Tata: Maya started her career at Tata Capital as an analyst and has been working her way up in the company.
Neville Tata: Neville began his career at Trent, a retail business that his father helped build.
Ratan Tata’s Legacy
Ratan Tata, after studying architecture at Cornell University, joined the family business in 1962. He worked his way up and became the Chairman of Tata Sons in 1991. Under his leadership, Tata Group expanded globally, with companies like Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) going public and Tata Motors acquiring Jaguar Land Rover. He also made major contributions to Indian philanthropy through the Tata Trusts.
Even though Ratan Tata stepped down as chairman in 2012, he continued to hold the title of Chairman Emeritus and remained involved in the Tata Trusts, which focus on various charitable initiatives across India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Tata a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul, and an extraordinary human being.
“He provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom. He endeared himself to several people thanks to his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to making our society better,” he said in a post on X.
Posting his pictures with Tata during various times of his political career, Modi said one of the most unique aspects of Tata was his passion towards dreaming big and giving back.
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