Noel Tata steps in to fill huge shoes of late Ratan Tata
New Delhi (PTI): Noel Tata -- the half-brother of late Rata Tata -- who takes over as Chairman of Tata Trusts, has been with the Tata Group for over four decades, slowly rising through the ranks in the salt-to-software conglomerate.
Having functioned mostly under the shadows of his illustrious half-brother, Noel (67) will now have the responsibility of leading the Tata Trusts -- broadly comprising Sir Ratan Tata Trust & Allied Trusts, and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust & Allied Trusts -- that hold a controlling 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding and promoter firm of Tata Group companies.
He is a Trustee on the boards of Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
His appointment as Chairman of Tata Trusts comes after the death of Ratan Tata late on Wednesday evening due to age-related health conditions.
Son of Naval H Tata and Simone N Tata, Noel Tata currently serves on the board of various Tata Group companies, including as the Chairman of Trent, Tata International Ltd, Voltas & Tata Investment Corporation and as the Vice Chairman of Tata Steel and Titan Company Ltd.
He has been associated with the Tata Group for over 40 years.
His last executive assignment was as the Managing Director of Tata International Ltd, the trading and distribution arm of the Tata Group, between August 2010 and November 2021. He had overseen the growth of the company from a turnover of USD 500 million to over USD 3 billion.
Before his stint in Tata International, Noel Tata served as the Managing Director of Trent Ltd, Tata group's retail arm. He played a pivotal role in the growth of Trent across formats, from a one-store operation in 1998 to over 700 stores across formats.
A graduate from Sussex University (UK), Noel completed the International Executive Programme (IEP) from INSEAD.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
