Tata Sons Chairman's Future in Question Ahead of Shareholder Vote

N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, has reportedly discussed the possibility of stepping down before the company's annual general meeting on August 18, according to people familiar with the matter. The discussions come as shareholders are set to vote on his reappointment as a director, with his current term as chairman running until February 2027.

The reported deliberations follow tensions with Noel Tata, who chairs Tata Trusts, the group's charity arm that holds about 66% of Tata Sons. Tata Sons had postponed a decision on reappointing Chandrasekaran as chairman in February after Noel Tata opposed the move.

The two entities have clashed over board representation, strategy, and the planned exit of minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji, a dispute that previously led to the removal of a Tata Sons director.

Tata Sons, the principal investment holding company of the $400-billion Tata Group, has not commented on the report. The group houses 30 companies, including Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors, and Air India.

Chandrasekaran joined the Tata group in 1987, became CEO of TCS in 2009, and took over as Tata Sons chairman in 2017. Over the past year, he has faced challenges including regulatory scrutiny over Air India after a fatal crash, pricing pressure at TCS, and a cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover that disrupted production.