Tata Trusts chair initiates informal hunt for Tata Sons' next chairman

After the Tata Sons annual general meeting was postponed, Noel Tata and another Trusts trustee met with ex-HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh at a Mumbai residence to discuss the upcoming succession of the group’s holding company. The discussion centered on establishing a five-member committee, as required by Tata Sons’ Articles, to identify a successor to N Chandrasekaran, who will step down when his term concludes in February 2027.

The committee must include three members jointly nominated by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, plus two directors chosen by the Tata Sons board, potentially including current directors Harish Manwani or Anita George and an external independent. A regulatory restriction on the Sir Ratan Tata Trust raises questions about how the joint nomination will be satisfied. This selection process echoes earlier committees that chose Cyrus Mistry in 2012 and later Chandrasekaran after Mistry’s removal. The search occurs amid ongoing debate over the balance of power between Tata Sons’ executive leadership and its controlling Trusts.