Tata Sons won't discuss Chandrasekaran's third term at board meet on Friday

Published 9 June 2026 · local

Bengaluru/Mumbai: Tata Sons' board is not expected to discuss a third term for chairman N. Chandrasekaran at its meeting slated for Friday, according to people

Bengaluru/Mumbai: Tata Sons' board is not expected to discuss a third term for chairman N. Chandrasekaran at its meeting slated for Friday, according to people aware of the matter. His current tenure ends in February 2027, and the board had deferred a decision on his reappointment less than four months ago. Instead, it will focus on the group's performance in the financial year 2026 and the plans for the current fiscal year, according to an executive privy to the development. The absence of any discussion on Chandrasekaran's future is notable, given that the issue had exposed differences within India's largest conglomerate earlier this year. "There's no hurry (for a discussion on Chandrasekaran's term). There is time for it to happen. It is not part of the agenda and unlikely to be discussed," said a Tata executive. Also Read | Tata Trusts defends 1989 Tata Sons share transfer, says Palkhivala vetted deal An email sent to Tata Sons seeking comment went unanswered. The si member board of Tata Sons includes Chandrasekaran and Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata.

The other members are Venu Srinivasan, group chief financial officer Saurabh Agrawal, and independent directors Harish Manwani and Anita Marangoly George. The board, which first appointed Chandrasekaran as chair in 2017 and extended his term in 2022, had deferred a decision on granting him another term at its 24 February 2026 meeting. The surprise development came after Noel Tata sought a clear roadmap for the performance of some of the new businesses launched under Chandrasekaran’s watch, including e-commerce, aviation and semiconductors. Assuaging concerns To assuage concerns, Chandrasekaran had the chief executives of the new-age businesses, including Air India, Tata Electronics, and Tata Digital, present at a special board meeting on 26 May to detail their performance, capital requirements, and a three-year roadmap. Then, over a si and-a-half-hour meeting at the Bombay House, Noel Tata, along with Tata Sons’ nomination and remuneration panel chair Harish Manwani, led the discussions. Noel Naval Tata was appointed chair of the Tata Trusts on 11 October 2024, following the death of his half-brother, Ratan Tata, on 9 October.

His objection at the Tata Sons’ board meeting in February this year marked a rare instance of dissent since he became the Tata Trusts representative on the Tata Sons board. Also Read | Why a Noel Tata confidant thinks a Tata Sons listing would be a mistake Noel Tata is reconsidering his position after the two principal trusts under his chairmanship—Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT)—endorsed a third term for Chandrasekaran in July last year. At the time, the trustees had even agreed to relax the retirement age criteria. The philanthropic entities own 65.9% of Tata Sons, the holding company that runs and owns over two dozen listed firms, including Tata Consultancy Services Ltd, Tata Steel Ltd and Tata Power Ltd. Concerns on performance He, however, voiced concerns about Tata Sons' performance and the capital commitment required for its new bets. Tata Sons has invested a total of over $11 billion in Air India, Tata Electronics, and Tata Digital.