Noel Tata, half-brother of late Ratan Tata, appointed chairman of Tata Trusts

Noel Tata, half-brother of late Ratan Tata, was on Friday (Oct 11) appointed the chairman of India’s Tata Trusts, as per a press release shared by the Tata Trusts. 

Tata Trusts was set up by Noel and Ratan’s great-grandfather Jamsetji Tata in 1892, years after he founded the Tata group.

Ratan Tata passed away on October 9 at the age of 86 and Noel was the top contender to be the chairman. 

Noel was born in 1957 to Naval Tata and Simone Tata. He already serves as a trustee on the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. He is also the chairman of Tata Trent and vice chairman of Tata Steel.

Noel earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Sussex and attended the International Executive Programme at France’s INSEAD business school. He holds Irish citizenship. 

Noel started his career at Tata International and went on to become the managing director of Trent- Tata Group’s retail arm. He later became Trent’s chairman and also became the vice-chairman of Tata Steel.

A day before Noel’s appointment (as chairman of Tata Trusts), Ratan Tata received a state funeral in Mumbai. Ahead of the funeral, hundreds of people including corporate leaders, politicians and celebrities gathered in India’s financial hub Mumbai to pay their last respects to Ratan Tata, 

Also watch | Ratan Tata: A look at the Indian visionary’s legacy

Known for his exemplary business acumen and philanthropic nature, Ratan as chairman led various companies within the Tata conglomerate for more than 20 years. It recorded revenue of $165 billion in 2023-24.

Although in recent years Ratan was not as active in the day-to-day running of the group, he was consulted on big decisions by the Tata Sons leadership, the news agency Reuters reported.

Ratan had been in a Mumbai hospital since Monday, but the cause of his death was not immediately made public.

After his death, tributes poured in from around the world, underlining the popularity that transcended boundaries and generations. 

(With inputs from agencies)