Key figures include Noel Naval Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, who is seen as a potential successor. Noel Tata has been with the Tata Group for four decades and has held key positions including Chairman of Trent, Tata International, Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation and Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company. He is also a trustee of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.

Noel’s children – Leah, Maya and Neville – also develop within the company and go their own way within the group.

A look at emerging leaders within the Tata Group

Leah Tata, Noel Tata’s eldest child, earned a master’s degree in marketing from IE Business School in Madrid. She joined Tata Group in 2006 and started as Assistant Sales Manager at Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces. She is currently the Vice President at The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), having progressed through various roles within the company.

Her younger sister Maya Tata began her career as an analyst at Tata Capital, the group’s leading financial services company. Meanwhile, her brother Neville Tata began his career at Trent, a retail company that their father helped found.

Neville Tata, 32, plays an active role in the family business, particularly as the head of Star Bazaar, a well-known hypermarket chain under Trent Limited. His marriage to Manasi Kirloskar of the Toyota Kirloskar Group adds another layer of industry connections and further cements his position as a potential future leader within the Tata Group.

Ratan Tata’s legacy

Ratan Tata became chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, succeeding his great-grandfather who founded the group over a century ago. During his tenure, he led several significant initiatives including the launch of Tata Teleservices in 1996 and the IPO of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 2004.

Although he stepped down as chairman in 2012, Tata retained the honorary title of chairman emeritus of several Tata companies, including Tata Motors, Tata Steel, Tata Chemicals and Tata Industries. He continued to play an important role in philanthropy through his leadership of the Tata Trusts. His contributions to industry and society earned him India’s prestigious civilian awards, the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

First published: Oct 10, 2024 | 1:20 p.m IS