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Today is the first death anniversary of Ratan Tata. He died last year on 9 October 2024 at the age of 86. After this, there have been many major changes in leadership in Tata Group. Apart from this, many controversies are going on in the group since his departure. Know in five points…
1. Noel joins the board of Tata Trust and Sons
After the death of Ratan Tata in October 2024, his half brother Noel Tata was made the chairman of Tata Trust. Tata Trust controls 65% of the shares of Tata Group. In November 2024, Noel was also included in the board of Tata Sons.
This is the first time since 2011 that a member of the Tata family is included in both the boards. Tata Sons is the holding company, which runs companies like Tata Motors, Tata Steel and TCS.
Noel’s appointment as a nominated member of the Trust shows he is now playing a key role in setting the group’s strategy and future direction. Noel is already the chairman of Tata Group company Trent Limited (brands like Westside and Zara).
Noel was the only contender after Ratan Tata’s death
After the death of Ratan Tata, Noel was the only contender. Although his brother Jimmy’s name was also in discussion, he had already retired. Noel is Naval Tata’s son from his second wife Simone. Ratan Tata and Jimmy Tata are the children of Naval and his first wife Suni.
Noel started his career with Tata International. In 1999, he was made the managing director of Trent, the retail arm of the group. It was started by his mother Simone. In 2010-11, he was made the chairman of Tata International.
2. Controversy after the death of Ratan Tata
After Ratan Tata’s departure, his half-brother Noel Tata was made the chairman of Tata Trusts, but as claimed in many media reports, this decision was not unanimous within the trust. After this, a faction of old powerful members like Mehli Mistry, Noel Tata and Tata Sons Chairman N. Wants direct interference in Chandrasekaran’s decisions.
The biggest impact of the trust’s internal fight was on the board of Tata Sons, where seats became vacant due to the retirement of some nominee directors. Tata Trusts were to appoint new members to these seats, but the faction led by Noel Tata and the Mistry faction were not able to agree on any name. Big names like Uday Kotak were also rejected.
- Dispute over re-appointment: This controversy gained momentum when Tata Sons nominee director Vijay Singh had to resign. Noel Tata wanted Vijay Singh to remain on the board, but the Mistry faction did not accept his re-appointment.
- Government interference in trust: This dispute increased so much that the central government had to intervene. Home Minister Amit Shah met Noel Tata and N. Chandrasekaran and was given strict instructions to bring stability and take strict measures.
Read the full news related to the controversy here…
3. Shantanu got stake in the will, now becomes the youngest manager
Ratan Tata had also given some stake to Shantanu Naidu in his will of Rs 10 thousand crores. Shantanu was Ratan Tata’s executive assistant and close friend. Tata had waived off Shantanu’s education loan in his will.
Apart from this, he had returned his stake in Shantanu’s startup ‘Goodfellows’ (companionship service for senior citizens), so that he could pursue his social venture.
Shantanu Naidu was Ratan Tata’s executive assistant and close friend.
What responsibility did Shantanu get after his death?
Even after Ratan Tata’s death, Shantanu worked in Ratan Tata’s personal office till January 2025. After this, in February he became the youngest manager of Tata Group. He was promoted to General Manager and Head of Strategic Initiatives in Tata Motors.
Now Shantanu handles electric vehicle innovation strategic projects at Tata Motors. His father also worked in the same Tata Motors plant. Apart from this, Shantanu is running his own startup Goodfellows. Goodfellow was launched in September 2022.
Shantanu came to Tata’s attention by innovating for dogs
Shantanu Naidu completed his engineering and worked in Tata Elxsi in 2014. One day he thought of the idea of saving stray dogs from vehicles on the road. He created reflective collars that made dogs visible at night.
This project went viral with the name ‘Motopause’. After being featured in Tata Group’s newsletter, Shantanu wrote a letter to Ratan Tata and asked for funding.
Ratan himself was fond of dogs. He replied to the letter and called him to Mumbai and praised Shantanu. This is how the friendship between Ratan Tata and Shantanu began. After completing his MBA in 2018, Shantanu became Ratan Tata’s assistant.
4. Command to the new generation
After the demise of Ratan Tata, Noel’s children have also taken up new responsibilities in the Tata Group. In January 2025, Maya Tata (36 years), Leah Tata (39 years) and Neville Tata (32 years) were inducted into the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII).
SRTII is an institute that provides training to women in skills like sewing and cooking. It was founded by Ratan Tata’s grandmother Navjabai Tata in 1928. This appointment was made for the renovation of SRTII, which focuses on women empowerment.
Apart from SRTII, these two sisters are also trustees of smaller trusts associated with Dorabji Tata Trust and Ratan Tata Trust. This move is part of the strategy to groom the next generation at Tata Group.
- Maya Tata: She is previously associated with Tata Digital, where she is part of the Tata Neo App team. Maya, who started her career with Tata Capital, is now leading the digital transformation. According to media reports, his net worth is around Rs 100 crore.
- Leah Tata: Vice President at Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL). Leah, who has a Masters in Marketing from IE Business School, Spain, is working on the expansion of Taj Hotels. She is engaged in strengthening customer experience and brand growth.
- Neville Tata: Noel’s son Neville Tata has also been made a trustee in SRTII and smaller trusts. Neville works in Tata Structured Products and is active in the family business. His wife Mansi Kirloskar (from Kirloskar Group) is also indirectly associated with Tata Group. Neville is not yet in the lead roles, but he is being seen as a future leader. Their two children – Jamshed and Tiana are the fourth generation of the family, but they are still young.
5. 4 major changes took place in Tata Trust and companies
- CFO and COO posts eliminated: Noel Tata discontinued the posts of Chief Finance Officer (CFO) and Chief Operating Officer (COO). This decision was taken to reduce the management cost of the trust which had reached ₹ 180 crore.
- Permanent membership to trustees: Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust will now be members forever. Retirement will be only voluntary. Earlier the membership of trustees was for a fixed term. This decision was taken to retain experienced people for a long time and strengthen the legacy of the group.
- 100% consent required on new appointments: Any new member can be included in the Trust only when all the existing members (100%) agree on that name. With this, any future decision or appointment will be stronger and dispute-free than before.
- Re-appointment of directors above 75 is necessary every year: In Tata Sons, the nominee directors who have crossed the age of 75 years will now have to go through the process of re-appointment for their membership on the board every year. This rule was brought to control the seniors.
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