Noel Tata-backed insider TV Narendran eyed as Tata Sons chairman

The Story in Brief

N Chandrasekaran will step down as Tata Sons chairman in February 2027 after a six-month deadlock over his reappointment. He cited a lack of support from one board member, widely linked to Noel Tata, half-brother of the late Ratan Tata, who chairs Tata Trusts, the charitable entity that owns about 66 per cent of Tata Sons. The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust has begun setting up a five-member selection committee to find a successor.

TV Narendran, 61-year-old managing director of Tata Steel and a Tata veteran since 1988, is the leading frontrunner, according to media reports. RPG Enterprises chairman Harsh Goenka backed him publicly as a “proven Tata insider.” The transition follows nearly two years of governance disputes within Tata Trusts after Ratan Tata’s death in October 2024, including disagreements over board representation, capital allocation, and whether Tata Sons should list on the stock exchange.