Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has
discussed with close associates the possibility of stepping down
before a shareholder meeting on August 18, the Economic Times
reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The discussions come amid uncertainty over his reappointment
as a director and tensions with the head of the group’s charity
arm, the report said.
Tata Sons shareholders are set to vote on Chandrasekaran’s
reappointment as a director at the August 18 annual general
meeting, according to a company notice. Chandrasekaran’s current
term as chairman runs until February 2027.
Reuters could not immediately verify the report. Tata Sons,
the principal investment holding company of the $400-billion
Tata Group, did not immediately respond to a request for comment
outside regular business hours, while Chandrasekaran could not
be reached.
Tata Sons in February postponed a decision on reappointing
Chandrasekaran as chairman after Noel Tata, chairman of the
group’s charity arm Tata Trusts, opposed the move, Reuters
previously reported.
Tata Sons and Tata Trusts have clashed over board
representation, strategy and how to handle the planned exit of
minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji, a dispute that led to
the ouster of a Tata Sons director.
Tata Trusts owns about 66% of Tata Sons, the holding company
of the salt-to-software group that houses 30 companies including
Tata Consultancy Services, Tata Motors and
Air India.
Chandrasekaran joined the Tata group in 1987 and rose to
become TCS CEO in 2009 before taking over as Tata Sons chair in
2017.
Over the past year, he has faced challenges, including
intense regulatory scrutiny over Air India after a fatal crash,
pricing pressure at TCS, and a cyberattack at Jaguar Land Rover
that disrupted production and hit Britain’s economic output.
Published on August 12, 2026
