Tata Sons row: 'Separation of ownership and control may offer a solution'
Separation of ownership and control could increasingly be an option for businesses across the world, according to Cohen, who's a top global family enterprise academic
In July 2025, Tata Trusts recommended a fresh five-year term for N Chandrasekaran as executive chairman of Tata Sons, reversing the decision Chandrasekaran made last month not to seek reappointment. The Tata Trusts stated that they appreciated Chandrasekaran's stewardship of the Group from 2017 onwards.
Chandrasekaran had first been appointed chairman of Tata Sons in 2017 and began a second five-year term in 2022, which was set to end in February 2027. In February 2026, the recommendation was taken up by the Tata Sons board, but the proposal was not carried through after Noel Tata sought a clear roadmap for the performance of new businesses under Chandrasekaran's leadership, including e-commerce, aviation, and semiconductors.
On August 12, 2026, Chandrasekaran said he intended to step down as chairman when his current term ended, citing the lack of unanimous support for his reappointment from the board. In his resignation letter, Chandrasekaran linked his decision not to seek another term to the reappointment proposal not receiving unanimous support from the board.
Following the rejection of the reappointment proposal, Chandrasekaran was asked to reconsider his decision at a Tata Sons Nomination Remuneration Committee (NRC) meeting on September 3, 2026. He was "unanimously" asked to reconsider his decision, acknowledging his contributions to the Tata Group and the larger interests of the company.
On September 17, 2026, the Tata Sons Board approved a five-year extension for Chandrasekaran as executive chairman, while Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata voted against the proposal. The Tata Trusts declared the resolution invalid due to a lack of unanimous support from the Trust nominee directors, stating that such a resolution could not be validly passed unless both nominee directors voted in favor.
Noel Tata expressed his opposition to listing the company, believing it would destroy the company's character and undermine the Tata principle.
Written by urgent.news from Hindustan Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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