Noel Tata has been appointed as the new Chairman of Tata Trusts, succeeding Ratan Naval Tata.
Noel Tata has been appointed as the new Chairman of Tata Trusts, succeeding his half-brother Ratan Tata. His appointment was approved during a board meeting, marking a leadership transition for the Trusts.
Noel Tata has been appointed as the new Chairman of Tata Trusts, succeeding Ratan Naval Tata.
Tata Trusts, which are the philanthropic bodies that hold Tata Sons—the parent company of the Tata group—approved his appointment during a board meeting on Friday morning. Noel Tata is the the son of Naval H. Tata and Simone N. Tata, and the half-brother of Ratan Tata.
With this appointment, Noel Tata has become the 11th chairman of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the sixth chairman of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Noel Tata was already serving as a trustee for both the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which together hold a significant 66% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company for the diverse Tata Group.
Noel N. Tata has been with the Tata group for over four decades, holding several key board positions within the conglomerate. He serves as Chairman of Trent, Voltas, and Tata Investment Corporation, and as Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Limited. His most recent executive role was Managing Director of Tata International Limited, where he drove significant growth, increasing revenue from $500 million to over $3 billion during his tenure from August 2010 to November 2021.
In addition to his leadership at Tata International, Noel Tata played a pivotal role at Trent Limited, where, as Managing Director, he led the company’s expansion from a single store in 1998 to more than 700 stores today.
Noel Tata joined the board of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust in 2019 and became Vice Chairman of Titan Company in 2018, followed by his appointment as Vice Chairman of Tata Steel in March 2022. He previously led Tata International Ltd, where he guided its transformation into a major player in commodity trading. Currently, he also serves as Chairman of Voltas and Tata Investment Corporation.
Noel Tata is known for his understated leadership style, in contrast to Ratan Tata’s more public-facing approach. While Ratan Tata was often in the media spotlight, Noel has focused on strengthening the group's international operations and retail sectors. His journey with the Tata Group began in 1999, and he has since played a key role in expanding its retail division, Trent.
Under Noel's leadership, Trent has grown significantly and now manages a variety of brands, including Westside, Star Bazaar, and Zudio, along with international brands like Zara and Massimo Dutti. The company reported consolidated revenue of Rs 12,669 crore for FY24. In 2010, Noel took on the leadership of Tata International, where he served until 2021. Today, he continues to hold important roles within the Tata Group.