The children of Noel Tata – late Indian tycoon Ratan Tata’s half-brother who succeeded him as chairman of Tata Trusts, a collective of philanthropic institutions that wield indirect control over the $165 billion Tata Group – are quietly assuming larger responsibilities at one of India’s biggest conglomerates.
Ratan Tata, who died in October, is responsible for turning the sprawling family-run Tata Group conglomerate into a global giant. The businessman was until his death the chairman of Tata Trusts, which through a complex ownership structure has a roughly 66 percent stake in the group’s holding company Tata Sons.
Tata Sons is the single largest shareholder in firms like IT giant Tata Consultancy Services, India’s second-biggest company by market cap, and Tata Motors — which owns British luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover.
Noel Tata’s daughters, Maya and Leah, were today inducted on the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTI), a subset of Sir Ratan Tata Trust, according to an Economic Times report.
Maya and Leah replaced Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati.
The transition has caused an internal rift with one outgoing trustee – Arnaz Kotwal – writing to fellow trustees expressing her disapproval at how she was asked to resign to accommodate the incoming members, as per the ET report.
The appointment of Leah and Maya Tata is part of the ongoing succession at the Group.
With this, Noel Tata’s children – Maya, Leah and Neville – are present on the boards of all the smaller Tata Trusts, while they are yet to be inducted on the two main ones – Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Allied Trusts, and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts.
As a move to infuse young blood into the experienced leadership of Tata Trusts, the three were appointed to the boards of five philanthropic organizations, affiliates of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Leah Tata
Leah Tata is vice president at Indian Hotels Company and handles the Gateway Hotels brand. She is on the boards of the Tata Social Welfare Trust, the Tata Education Trust and the JRD and the Thelma J Tata Trust.
Maya Tata
Maya Tata started her career at the Tata Opportunities Fund, a prominent private equity fund within Tata Capital. She serves on the boards of the Tata Education Trust, the RD Tata Trust, and the JRD and Thelma J Tata Trust.
Neville Tata
Neville Tata took charge last year as head of Star Bazaar, the hypermarket unit of Trent, which houses the Tata Group’s retail businesses. He is on the boards of the Tata Social Welfare Trust, the JRD Tata Trust and the RD Tata Trust.
