N. Chandrasekaran, who has led Tata Sons since 2017, has resigned as chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the $400-billion Tata Group. However, he will continue in the role until his current term ends in February.
The resignation comes just days before Tata Sons‘ annual general meeting on August 18. Shareholders were scheduled to vote on Chandrasekaran’s reappointment as a director at the meeting.
From a small town in Tamil Nadu to the top of Tata Group
Chandrasekaran’s exit marks the end of a nearly four-decade-long career with the Tata Group. Born in 1963 in Mohanur, a small town near Namakkal in Tamil Nadu, Chandrasekaran completed his Bachelor of Science in Applied Sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology in 1984. He later earned a Master of Computer Applications from the Regional Engineering College in Trichy, now known as NIT Trichy, in 1986.
He joined Tata Consultancy Services as an intern and became a full-time employee in 1987. He went on to spend his entire career within the Tata Group. During his career, he spent around 10 years working outside India, including in the US, the UK and Sweden. He gradually took on bigger responsibilities at TCS.
His rise reached a major point in 2009 when he became CEO and managing director of TCS. He remained in the position for eight years, during which the IT services company grew into one of the world’s leading technology and consulting firms.
The man behind the Tata group’s modern era
Chandrasekaran joined the Tata Sons board in October 2016. A few months later, in January 2017, he was named chairman, formally taking charge in February. He succeeded Cyrus Mistry.
On his first day as chairman, Chandrasekaran said he wanted to bring greater discipline to the group’s capital allocation and improve shareholder value. He also said he wanted Tata companies to become leaders in their respective industries instead of simply following others.
His role soon extended across several major Tata companies.
He went on to chair the boards of Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, Air India, Tata Consumer Products and Indian Hotels Company, among others.
His role at Air India was especially important as Tata Group worked to bring the airline back under its fold after buying it from the Indian government. In February 2022, Chandrasekaran was reappointed for a second term as Tata Sons chairman. His tenure has now lasted nearly nine years.
Awards and recognition
Known within the Tata Group as “Chandra”, Chandrasekaran has received several major honours during his career.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan in 2022. A year later, in 2023, French President Emmanuel Macron made him a Knight of the Legion of Honour, one of France’s highest honours.
Chandrasekaran has also received honorary doctorates from Aligarh Muslim University, NIT Tiruchirappalli and Nyenrode Business University.
He was also involved in shaping India’s business agenda during the country’s G20 presidency.
His life away from the Tata boardroom
Away from his corporate responsibilities, Chandrasekaran is known for his love of long-distance running. He is a Six Star Finisher of the World Marathon Majors and can be spotted running along the Mumbai coastline at around 5 am every morning.
His personal best came at the 2014 TCS New York City Marathon, which he finished in 5 hours and 52 seconds.
Chandrasekaran has spoken about how running has influenced the way he approaches leadership. He has said that both running and leadership require patience and persistence over a long period. He is also an avid photographer.
Chandrasekaran lives in Mumbai with his wife, Lalitha. The couple have a son, Pranav.
Resignation comes amid friction with Tata Trusts
The development comes after a period of friction between Chandrasekaran and Tata Trusts, the charitable arm of the Tata Group and the largest shareholder in Tata Sons.
Tata Trusts owns roughly 66% of Tata Sons. The disagreements have included issues around governance and representation on the Tata Sons board.
Tata Sons has not yet given an official statement on Chandrasekaran’s resignation.
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