Noel Tata at centre of Tata Sons succession as search begins

Tata Sons has begun the process to find a successor to chairman N Chandrasekaran, who will step down after his tenure ends in February 2027. The five-member selection committee is expected to consider internal candidates including Tata Steel's T V Narendran, CFO Saurabh Agrawal, and Tata Motors MD Shailesh Chandra. Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts which holds a controlling stake in Tata Sons, is at the centre of the succession discussions.

The transition comes amid governance issues at Tata Trusts, which faces legal proceedings before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner. Chandrasekaran's decision to not seek reappointment has raised concerns about leadership clarity for ongoing mega projects. Under Article 118 of Tata Sons' Articles of Association, the selection committee will recommend a candidate to the board.

Brand strategy expert Harish Bijoor told Times Now Digital that the next chairman will need a new approach for new challenges, calling it 'a new-investment deep era' for the group. Legal experts caution that Noel Tata may want to appoint someone he trusts, but uncertainty over competence could unsettle investors. The selection process is expected to conclude before February 2027.