N Chandrasekaran resigns as chairman of Tata Sons before AGM

N Chandrasekaran will step down as chairman of Tata Sons once his term ends in February next year and will not seek reappointment, bringing an abrupt end to a nearly decade-long tenure in which he transformed India’s biggest business group into a conglomerate spanning airlines, semiconductors, electronics, batteries and digital businesses.

Chandrasekaran, 63, told the Tata Sons board of his decision, people familiar with the matter said. He will stay until his term as chairman officially runs until February 2027.

The Economic Times had first reported Chandrasekaran may exit Tata Sons before AGM.


In a statement on Wednesday, Chandrasekaran said he had completed 40 years at the Tata Group and that his current tenure as chairman of Tata Sons ends on Feb. 20, 2027. He said the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust had unanimously resolved and recommended a five-year extension of his term, which was also recorded and recommended by the Tata Sons Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the board.

The proposal was tabled at the Tata Sons board on Feb. 24, 2026, but was not carried through after one board member did not support it, Chandrasekaran said. In the absence of unanimous support, he chose to defer the decision.

“It has been 6 months since that Board meeting, and no resolution has been reached till date,” Chandrasekaran said.

He said the lack of clarity was no longer sustainable for Tata Sons, given the number of strategic projects at critical stages of execution. “It is not only necessary to have a leader in place to lead the Group beyond Feb 2027, but also clarity on leadership is important for employees, investors, partners and other stakeholders,” he said.

Chandrasekaran said he had communicated to the Tata Sons board earlier Wednesday that he would not offer himself for reappointment when his term ends and had asked the board to decide on his successor soon to ensure a proper transition.

Chandrasekaran’s exit also has implications across the group. He is chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors and Tata Consumer Products, among other Tata companies, and has held a central role across the group’s businesses since taking over Tata Sons in 2017.

His decision comes amid uncertainty over the Aug 18 meeting and how Tata Trusts, which owns about 66% of Tata Sons, would vote. Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata is seen as opposed to Chandrasekaran’s continuation.

There was also uncertainty over whether the meeting could be held at all.

Sir Ratan Tata Trust, one of the key shareholders of Tata Sons, is currently barred by the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner from making important decisions pending an inquiry. Under Tata Sons’ Articles of Association, trustees jointly nominated by Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust are authorised to vote at the AGM.

A few Sir Ratan Tata Trust trustees, including Noel Tata, Darius Khambata and Jehangir Jehangir, have sought permission from the charity commissioner to participate in the meeting. Vijay Singh and Venu Srinivasan did not sign the request.

The uncertainty had raised the prospect of a contentious vote that could have ended Chandrasekaran’s chairmanship abruptly. He has now stepped down before that process plays out.

The scale of the Tata Group has changed significantly during Chandrasekaran’s tenure.

Aggregate revenue rose from Rs 7.89 lakh crore in FY20 to Rs 16.24 lakh crore in FY26, according to the figures provided by the group.

Profit after tax rose more than fivefold, from Rs 32,000 crore to Rs 1.71 lakh crore.

The market capitalisation of Tata’s listed companies rose from Rs 9.31 lakh crore in FY20 to Rs 24.39 lakh crore in FY26, although it was Rs 27.85 lakh crore in FY25.

Chandrasekaran took over Tata Sons in 2017 after leading TCS. He became the first professional manager from outside the Tata family to head the holding company after Ratan Tata.

Under him, Tata returned to aviation, acquired Air India and expanded into semiconductors, electronics manufacturing and batteries. The group also increased its focus on digital businesses and electric vehicles.

The expansion has required large investments and has contributed to disagreements within Tata Trusts over the performance and capital requirements of newer businesses.

The Tata Sons board deferred a decision on Chandrasekaran’s reappointment on Feb 24 after Noel Tata raised reservations about the performance of the new businesses, people familiar with the matter said. Noel also favoured a two-year executive term for Chandrasekaran, in line with the group’s retirement age of 65.

That marked a reversal from about a year earlier, when the trustees had unanimously recommended another five-year term for Chandrasekaran.

His departure comes amid wider disagreements within the Tata Group following Ratan Tata’s death in late 2024. Several trustees have left, while senior government officials have urged the trusts to keep their differences from affecting the group’s businesses.

Multiple trustees, executives and people close to the group have expressed concern that the dispute is beginning to affect decision-making.

Chandrasekaran’s departure leaves Tata Sons facing a leadership transition months before his existing term was due to end, at a time when the group is making some of its largest investments in new businesses.