Sunita Somvanshi
The clock is ticking on one of India’s most watched boardroom transitions. N. Chandrasekaran will not seek another term as Executive Chairman of Tata Sons when his current tenure ends on February 20, 2027. That one sentence has set off a quiet but serious search for whoever comes next.
Tata Sons sits at the top of the Tata Group — a conglomerate that spans salt, steel, software, cars, airlines, and consumer goods. The person who leads it shapes decisions that touch millions of jobs and crores of rupees in investment every year. This is not just a corporate reshuffle.
Three names are now being discussed as the leading contenders. T.V. Narendran, the CEO and Managing Director of Tata Steel, has spent more than three decades inside the Tata system. He managed the European turnaround of Tata Steel and oversaw large capital projects on the ground — the kind of operational experience rare at the top of a holding company. Saurabh Agrawal, Tata Sons’ Executive Director and Group CFO, is the man who has overseen the group’s financial architecture — including the Air India acquisition and the capital planning behind semiconductor and battery investments. Then there is Ashish Chauhan, currently MD and CEO of the National Stock Exchange. He is the only contender from outside Tata and brings a background in building financial market infrastructure, having previously led the Bombay Stock Exchange.
It is important to be clear: Tata Sons has not officially confirmed any shortlist. The three names are being reported by people familiar with the selection process, not announced from Bombay House. The formal process was set in motion on August 13, when Tata Trusts — which holds a controlling stake in Tata Sons — passed a resolution to establish a Selection Committee in line with Tata Sons’ Articles of Association. That committee is now the body responsible for identifying Chandrasekaran’s successor.
Noel Tata chairs Tata Trusts following the passing of Ratan Tata in late 2024. His role in the selection process is structural — the Trusts’ controlling position means any new chairman needs its backing. The governance mechanics here are more formal than a single person picking a favourite.
The person chosen will walk into a demanding role. Tata Group is midway through massive capital commitments — a semiconductor fabrication plant in Dholera, fleet renewal at Air India, and EV battery manufacturing. Whoever takes over from Chandrasekaran will need to steer those projects while managing a group of extraordinary breadth.
No official announcement has been made. The February 2027 deadline means the decision will come into focus over the next several months.
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