New Delhi:

Tatas, a brand that has for more than 150 years instilled a feeling of trust and reassurance, has always seen a line of succession where the people at the helm have set the very highest standards and ethics in the world of business. Their personalities cannot be separated from what the brand has evolved into.

Founded in 1868, Tatas have become one of largest and most diverse global conglomerates. It is a name heard in almost every home in India and tens of millions overseas.

Ratan Tata, the kind and graceful gentleman-industrialist and philanthropist, who is credited with taking brand Tata to over 100 countries under his leadership, died at a hospital in Mumbai earlier this week. His stewardship of the Tata behemoth has left a void that few can fill, or not – only time will tell.

Ratan Tata is being succeeded by his half-brother Noel Tata. Ratan Tata’s parents Naval Tata and Soonoo Commissariat got divorced when Ratan and his younger brother Jimmy were very young. Years later their father married Simone Dunoyer, and the two had a son Noel.

THE TATA FAMILY ANCESTRY

Ancestors of the Tata family migrated to India from Persia, now Iran, in the 8th century AD. They were part of a large group of Parsis (people from Persia), a Zoroastrian ethnic community, who fled persecution during the Islamic Conquest of Persia.

According to the Tata Central Archives, the Tatas settled in Navsari in Gujarat and lived there for 25 generations before business took them to Bombay – then the Bombay Presidency under the British Raj. At the time Bombay Province included the western two-thirds of Maharashtra, northwestern Karnataka, all of Gujarat, all of Sindh (now in Pakistan), and Aden (in present-day Yemen).

The journey of the Tata family’s business began with Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who stated a trading company in Bombay in 1868, which has today become the Tata Group. The Tatas have always believed in the concept of country and society – building and uplifting the people and the community over personal gains – and right from the very beginning, Jamsetji and his two sons – Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata – left most of their estate and shares in the company to charitable trusts.

Today, there are 14 different trusts run by the Tatas which work in different sectors, each independent of the other in the nature and field of work they do. All of these however, come under an umbrella organisation called Tata Trust. Ratan Tata was the Chairman of the Tata Trust and Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group. After his demise, his half-brother Noel Tata has become the Chairman of Tata Trust while Natarajan Chandrasekaran is Chairman of the Tata Group, whose largest stakeholder is the Tata Trust.

NOEL TATA – NEW CHAIRMAN – TATA TRUSTS

Born in December 1957, Noel Tata is twenty years younger than his half-brother Ratan Tata. He is the son of Naval Tata and Simone Dunoyer, a French-Swiss Catholic and businesswoman from Switzerland.

Noel Tata holds a degree from Sussex University (UK) and has completed the International Executive Programme (IEP) at INSEAD.. He is an Indian-Irish businessman and has been appointed as the Chairman of the Tata Trust. He is married to Aloo Mistry, who is Cyrus Mistry’s sister and Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry’s granddaughter. They have three children – Neville, Maya, and Leah – all of whom are actively involved in the Tata conglomerate. Leah Tata is the Vice President at the Indian Hotels Company. While Maya Tata is associated with Tata Capital, Neville Tata is part of Trent and leadership team at Star Bazaar.

Noel Tata’s most prominent role before this new appointment was as Managing Director of Tata International Ltd, the group’s trading and distribution arm. Under his leadership from 2010 to 2021, the company grew from a turnover of $500 million to over $3 billion. As Managing Director of Trent Ltd, Tata’s retail arm, he expanded its operations from a single store in 1998 to over 700 stores across various formats.

Till his appointment as Chairman – Tata Trusts, Noel Tata has been chairman of Trent, Tata International Limited, Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation. He is also vice chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited. He also serves as a trustee on the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, which together comprise over 50 per cent of the ownership of Tata Sons.

Noel Tata has now become the sixth chairman of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and 11th chairman of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
 

New Delhi:

Tatas, a brand that has for more than 150 years instilled a feeling of trust and reassurance, has always seen a line of succession where the people at the helm have set the very highest standards and ethics in the world of business. Their personalities cannot be separated from what the brand has evolved into.

Founded in 1868, Tatas have become one of largest and most diverse global conglomerates. It is a name heard in almost every home in India and tens of millions overseas.

Ratan Tata, the kind and graceful gentleman-industrialist and philanthropist, who is credited with taking brand Tata to over 100 countries under his leadership, died at a hospital in Mumbai earlier this week. His stewardship of the Tata behemoth has left a void that few can fill, or not – only time will tell.

Ratan Tata is being succeeded by his half-brother Noel Tata. Ratan Tata’s parents Naval Tata and Soonoo Commissariat got divorced when Ratan and his younger brother Jimmy were very young. Years later their father married Simone Dunoyer, and the two had a son Noel.

THE TATA FAMILY ANCESTRY

Ancestors of the Tata family migrated to India from Persia, now Iran, in the 8th century AD. They were part of a large group of Parsis (people from Persia), a Zoroastrian ethnic community, who fled persecution during the Islamic Conquest of Persia.

According to the Tata Central Archives, the Tatas settled in Navsari in Gujarat and lived there for 25 generations before business took them to Bombay – then the Bombay Presidency under the British Raj. At the time Bombay Province included the western two-thirds of Maharashtra, northwestern Karnataka, all of Gujarat, all of Sindh (now in Pakistan), and Aden (in present-day Yemen).

The journey of the Tata family’s business began with Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who stated a trading company in Bombay in 1868, which has today become the Tata Group. The Tatas have always believed in the concept of country and society – building and uplifting the people and the community over personal gains – and right from the very beginning, Jamsetji and his two sons – Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata – left most of their estate and shares in the company to charitable trusts.

Today, there are 14 different trusts run by the Tatas which work in different sectors, each independent of the other in the nature and field of work they do. All of these however, come under an umbrella organisation called Tata Trust. Ratan Tata was the Chairman of the Tata Trusts and Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group. After his demise, his half-brother Noel Tata has become the Chairman of Tata Trusts while Natarajan Chandrasekaran is Chairman of the Tata Group, whose largest stakeholder is the Tata Trust.

NOEL TATA – NEW CHAIRMAN – TATA TRUSTS

Born in December 1957, Noel Tata is twenty years younger than his half-brother Ratan Tata. He is the son of Naval Tata and Simone Dunoyer, a French-Swiss Catholic and businesswoman from Switzerland.

Noel Tata holds a degree from Sussex University (UK) and has completed the International Executive Programme (IEP) at INSEAD.. He is an Indian-Irish businessman and has been appointed as the Chairman of the Tata Trust. He is married to Aloo Mistry, who is Cyrus Mistry’s sister and Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry’s granddaughter. They have three children – Neville, Maya, and Leah – all of whom are actively involved in the Tata conglomerate. Leah Tata is the Vice President at the Indian Hotels Company. While Maya Tata is associated with Tata Capital, Neville Tata is part of Trent and leadership team at Star Bazaar.

Noel Tata’s most prominent role before this new appointment was as Managing Director of Tata International Ltd, the group’s trading and distribution arm. Under his leadership from 2010 to 2021, the company grew from a turnover of $500 million to over $3 billion. As Managing Director of Trent Ltd, Tata’s retail arm, he expanded its operations from a single store in 1998 to over 700 stores across various formats.

Till his appointment as Chairman – Tata Trusts, Noel Tata has been chairman of Trent, Tata International Limited, Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation. He is also vice chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited. He also serves as a trustee on the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, which together comprise over 50 per cent of the ownership of Tata Sons.

Noel Tata has now become the sixth chairman of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and 11th chairman of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
 

New Delhi:
Noel Tata has been appointed the chairman of Tata Trust, the philanthropic arm of the Tata Group, following the death of Ratan Tata, on Wednesday night. Tata Trust is the umbrella body managing the functions of all 14 Tata Trusts.

Here are 10 things to know about Noel Tata:

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, died on Wednesday in Mumbai after a long ailment. The 86-year-old was recognised for his integrity, ethical leadership and commitment to philanthropy, making him an iconic figure both in India and internationally. The business tycoon also played a key role in promoting mental well-being. He was an early advocate of corporate wellness programmes, understanding the importance of mental health in driving workplace productivity. As a chairman of Tata Group, he also fostered a work culture that prioritised employee health and happiness. 

Now, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day today, October 10, it is fitting to reflect on the contributions of Ratan Tata as the champion of mental well-being. 

One of his most significant contributions to mental health was via Tata Trusts, the philanthropic arm of Tata Group. Under his leadership, Tata Trusts initiated its work in mental healthcare and spearheaded several initiatives aimed at improving mental healthcare accessibility in India. This came at a time when there was very little recognition of the burden of mental disorders and a poor understanding of wellbeing and its impact on overall health. 

One of the main programmes under Ratan Tata’s leadership was the Trusts’ Udaan initiative – a mental health programme launched in 2016. According to the official site, Udaan focuses on rehabilitating individuals with mental disabilities through institutional reform and community-based mental health services. 

Udaan has recently undertaken two “large and path-breaking” programmes in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra as well. First, through Udaan, the Trusts’ effort is to offer an alternative narrative in the global mental health space through systematic and evidence-based reforms, repurposing the role of a psychiatric hospital to offer vulnerable people an important element of care that is otherwise not available in low-resource settings.

The second collaborative programme launched by Udaan is a district-wide community mental health programme for the district of Nagpur. This ambitious programme directly covers a population of five million people, providing mental health services at their doorstep. It aims to work with communities to build awareness on mental health, early detection of illness and to provide care closer to home.

Also Read | Silicon Valley Exec Remembers Ratan Tata, Says He “Wouldn’t Be Here Without Him”

Apart from this, Mr Tata is also known for his empathy and genuine concern for people’s well-being. He once said, “I don’t believe in work-life balance. I believe in work-life integration. Make your work and life meaningful and fulfilling, and they will complement each other.” 

He once also remarked, “One day you will realize that material things mean nothing. All that matters is the well-being of the people you love”. 

Now, as we remember Ratan Tata today, his legacy in mental health advocacy continues to inspire us. Apart from this, he will also be remembered for his significant contributions to the healthcare sector in India, supporting initiatives addressing maternal health, child health and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer, malaria and tuberculosis.

Tata Group’s chairman emeritus and veteran industrialist Ratan Tata passed away at the age of 86.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Ratan Tata, Tata Group’s chairman emeritus passed away on Wednesday (October 9, 2024) at the age of 86.

Tata Group grew into a global powerhouse under Ratan Tata’s visionary leadership. Throughout his career, he has contributed to several sectors, including engineering and technology. The group’s significant global expansion under his leadership stands as a testament to his transformative impact on the Indian industry.

A collection of stories on the veteran industrialist