Noel Tata was appointed chairman of Tata Trusts on Friday, following the death of his brother Ratan Tata at the age of 86. At 67, Noel became the 11th chairman of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the sixth chairman of Sir’s Ratan Tata Trust.
His appointment is significant, as the Tata Trust holds a 66% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata conglomerate with more than 150 years of assets. The announcement comes after the Tata Trusts board met earlier this morning and took an unanimous decision on Noel’s appointment, the channel reported.
Following the industrialist’s death, Noel was seen as a strong contender to succeed Ratan Tata due to his familial ties and involvement in many of the Tata group companies.
Noel Tata, who has been part of the Tata Group for 40 years, is currently the Chairman and Non-Executive Director of Tata International Limited. He is also a trustee on the boards of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. His children, Maya, Neville and Leah, participate in the Tata family’s philanthropy, furthering his charitable legacy.
Son of Naval and Simone Tata, Noel is currently the chairman of Trent, Voltas, Tata Investment Corporation and Tata International. He is also the Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and Titan. Noel and Ratan were said to have had a strained relationship for many years. He was made a trustee of the Sir Ratanji Tata Trust as late as 2019 and of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust only in 2022.
Noel’s appointment is of significance to Tata Trusts as whoever heads the trusts indirectly controls the Tata Sons group, the holding company for the individual Tata corporations. Noel holds a degree from the University of Sussex, UK, and completed the International Entrepreneurship Program at INSEAD.
His leadership roles include chairman of Trent, Voltas, Tata Investment Corporation and vice chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited. As Chairman of Trent Limited since 2014, Noel has overseen a significant increase in its share price of 6,000% over the past decade. He headed Tata International Limited from 2010 to 2021, increasing its revenues from $500 million to more than $3 billion.