‘Rs 29,000 cr challenge’: Tata Sons’ new chief needs to deal with 3 major cash losers

The new chief of Tata Sons, N Chandrasekaran, faces a significant financial challenge worth Rs 29,000 crore, as the conglomerate manages three major cash losers. These include Air India, the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing sector, and Tata Digital.

The Indian government treats Air India as a strategic partner in several sectors, despite the airline reporting losses of almost Rs 22,238 crore in 2025-26. The turnaround for Air India is seen as several years away, as the conglomerate aims to develop India as a hub for aviation.

Another cash loser is the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing sector. Tata Sons has bagged orders in this area, but it is a long-term process for the business to break even.

Tata Digital, the conglomerate's digital arm, reported losses of Rs 4,974 crore in 2025, even as revenues grew to Rs 35,990 crore. The company is under pressure to stabilize, having undergone three leadership changes since its inception in 2019.

Tata Digital's BigBasket, acquired in 2021 for a deal valued at $1.5-2 billion, has struggled to gain market share in the quick commerce space. The conglomerate holds only around 4-5% of the market, far behind Blinkit, which owns over 40%. BigBasket's share has further declined as aggressive competitors like Amazon and Flipkart ramp up their operations.