INSIDE THE MIND OF NOEL TATA

THE NEW TATA TRUSTSCHAIRMAN WILL PUSH FORMODERNISING THE GROUPWITH AN EYE ON THENEXT LAP OF GROWTH.

- BY NEVIN JOHN

On October 28, 2024 a large crowd thronged the 2-kilometre stretch of Vadodara's airport road. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish President Pedro Sánchez were set to inaugurate the final assembly line of the newly-built Tata Advanced Systems-Airbus factory for manufacture of C295 defence aircraft. It was the first time that a private sector company would oversee spot manufacturing, full assembly, and maintenance of such aircraft in India.

It was less than three weeks after the passing away of the iconic Ratan Tata. As tributes poured in from guests, including Michael Schoellhorn, CEO, Airbus Defence and Space, and Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Group, it was the presence of Noel N. Tata, Ratan Tata's successor at Tata Trusts and his half-brother, that stood out for its understated elegance. Noel's name was notably absent from the plaque unveiled jointly by the two heads of state. In fact, during the factory tour, he walked a step behind the more prominent figures, a position he seemed accustomed to.

Noel Tata prefers to shun the limelight despite the legacy that comes with his name. Much like the brevity of his letters to shareholders as chairman of Trent Ltd., he is a man of few words, preferring action over accolades.

“He is hardworking, cautious and systematic,” says a CEO with a foreign firm with relationships with the Tata Group. However, his elevation as chairman of Tata Trusts is a pressing priority that demands a considerable amount of influence and authority to be wielded within the group as well as outside. As a global conglomerate, Tata Group has relationships with governments in developed and developing worlds, and corporates in every sector.

So, what is Noel's vision for the group?