Noel Tata, half-brother of the late Ratan Tata, is set to be the next chairman of Tata Trusts following the demise of Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group Chairman, who passed away on October 9 at the age of 86.
The 67-year-old Noel was chosen to lead the trusts, which collectively own Tata Sons, in a meeting on Friday. The meeting of the board was held to choose the successor to Ratan Tata after his demise on Wednesday.
Tata's New Chairman Noel Tata's Pune Connection
A formal announcement on the appointment of Noel, who runs retail business Trent, is likely soon. However, for Punekars, it is, in a way, good news, as Noel Tata has a Pune connection.
For the uninitiated, Noel Tata's son Neville is married to Manasi Kirloskar, daughter of the late industrialist Vikram Kirloskar and Geetanjali Kirloskar.
Kirloskar family
The Kirloskar family is a Pune-based business family that has been involved in the Kirloskar Group, an industrial group that was founded in 1888 by Laxmanrao Kirloskar.
In 2023, Manasi was appointed as the new Vice Chairperson of Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts (TKAP) and Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM), following the death of her father Vikram Kirloskar.
Manasi Kirloskar Tata currently also serves as the Chairperson of Toyota Engine India Limited (TIEI), Kirloskar Toyota Textile Private Limited (KTTM), Toyota Material Handling India Private Limited (TMHIN), and Deno Kirloskar Industries Private Limited (DNKI).
She was born on August 7, 1990, and is a Fine Arts graduate from the Rhode Island School of Design in the United States. The couple was married in 2019 in a low-key civil ceremony at Ratan Tata's South Mumbai home. Currently, she and Neville Tata are parents to two kids, Jamsetji Tata and Tiana Tata. Neville is involved in Trent and the leadership team at Star Bazaar. Tata Trusts is the umbrella body that manages the functions of all 14 Tata trusts.
Noel Tata has played an active role in the conglomerate's business, with specific attention to the company's fashion and lifestyle brand, Trent.
Noel Tata currently chairs several companies within the Tata portfolio, including Trent, Tata International Ltd, and Voltas Ltd. As vice-chairman of Tata Steel and Titan, Noel has been instrumental in the conglomerate's growth since joining the Tata Group in the early 2000s.
