Passing the first big test

HIS FIRST YEAR IN THE CORNER OFFICE HAS BEEN A SOBERING INITIATION

- JOYDEEP GHOSH

EVEN FOR AN ACE DRIVER like Noel Tata, Tata Trusts chairman, 2025 turned out to be a bumpy drive.

But few were surprised. With the late Ratan Tata staying firmly at the helm until his passing — without naming a successor — the moment of transition was always going to be fraught. Suspense was inevitable. So was the expectation of boardroom turbulence.

What did surprise many was that the storm did not break immediately.

For a while, Noel Tata appeared the natural, almost default choice. He was the only eligible Tata by surname, the son-in-law of the Mistry family, and uniquely positioned at the intersection of the two families that together own 100% of Tata Sons. If anyone could bridge legacy and continuity, it was him.

Yet Noel Tata has lived with the shadow of succession for over a decade. Back in 2012, when the Tata Group was searching for Ratan Tata's successor at Tata Sons, he was widely seen as a serious contender. That possibility faded after Ratan Tata told a foreign publication that Noel lacked the requisite experience — a comment that was widely interpreted as a signal to the selection committee. What followed is well documented history.

Fast forward to September 2025, when fault lines finally surfaced — at a Tata Trusts board meeting no less. The long-simmering rift between the Tata and Mehli Mistry factions spilled into the open.