Race to succeed Natarajan Chandrasekaran as Tata Sons chairman begins
What's the story
The race to succeed Natarajan Chandrasekaran as the chairman of Tata Sons has begun, with a mix of senior executives and family members in the fray. The search was triggered by Chandrasekaran's announcement of his intention to step down when his term ends in February 2027. Among the potential candidates are Tata Steel's CEO TV Narendran, Tata Power's Praveer Sinha, Tata Motors's Shailesh Chandra, and Tata Chemicals's Ramakrishnan Mukundan.
Trust influence
Narendran a strong contender for top job
Noel Tata, the chairman of Tata Trusts, will have a major say in who succeeds Chandrasekaran.
He believes that sector experts, not bankers, should run Tata companies and prefers insiders who have proven their capabilities and loyalty.
This makes Narendran a strong contender for the top job at Tata Sons given his credentials as CEO and managing director of Tata Steel.
Information
Family members also being considered for top job
Family members of Tata Trusts chairman are also being considered for the top job. Noel may look to promote his son Neville or daughter Maya to the position. Neville currently works at Trent Ltd., while Maya has worked with Tata Digital Pvt. Ltd.
Succession steps
Process to find successor underway at Sir Dorabji Tata Trust
The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, one of the trusts that controls Tata Sons, has begun the process of finding Chandrasekaran's successor.
The board is also considering an external candidate to steer the conglomerate through its ongoing multi-billion-dollar investment programs.
This comes as part of their commitment to a "smooth, timely, and orderly transition of leadership" in line with the values and long-term interests of Tata Sons and the Tata Group.