Noel Tata, half-brother of late Ratan Tata, appointed chairman of Tata Trusts

Noel Tata, half-brother of late Ratan Tata, was on Friday (Oct 11) appointed the chairman of India's Tata Trusts, as per a press release shared by the Tata Trusts.

TataTrusts was set up by Noel and Ratan's great-grandfather JamsetjiTatain 1892, years after he founded theTatagroup.

Ratan Tata passed away on October 9 at the age of 86 and Noel was the top contender to be the chairman.

Noel's appointment is of significance asTataTrusts owns 66 per centofTataSons, the holding company of various firms under theTatabrand which is more than 150 years old.

Who is Noel Tata?

Noel was born in 1957 to Naval Tata and Simone Tata. Healready serves as a trustee on the board of Sir RatanTataTrust and Sir DorabjiTataTrust. He is also the chairman ofTataTrent and vice chairman ofTataSteel.

Noel earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Sussex and attended theInternational Executive Programme at France's INSEAD business school. He holds Irish citizenship.

Noel started his career at Tata International and went on to become the managing director of Trent- Tata Group's retail arm. He later became Trent's chairman and also became the vice-chairman of Tata Steel.

Ratan Tata gets a state funeral

A day before Noel's appointment (as chairman of Tata Trusts), Ratan Tata received a state funeral in Mumbai. Ahead of the funeral,hundreds of people including corporate leaders, politicians and celebrities gathered in India's financial hub Mumbai to pay their last respects to Ratan Tata,

Also watch |Ratan Tata: A look at the Indian visionary's legacy

Known for his exemplary business acumen and philanthropic nature, Ratanas chairman led various companies within theTataconglomerate for more than 20 years. It recorded revenue of $165 billion in 2023-24.

Although in recent years Ratanwas not as active in the day-to-day running of the group, he was consulted on big decisions by theTataSons leadership, the news agency Reuters reported.

Ratan had been in a Mumbai hospital since Monday, but the cause of his death was not immediately made public.

After his death, tributes poured in from around the world, underlining thepopularity that transcended boundaries and generations.

(With inputs from agencies)