How Tata Trusts controls Tata Sons, the company that owns all other Tata companies

This came into focus after Noel Tata was appointed as chairman of the trust following the death of Ratan Tata who held the post prior

Tata Trusts is the philanthropic arm of the Tata Group, which also happens to own about 66% of Tata Sons, the private holding company which owns stakes in all Tata group companies.

A general view shows the Bombay House building, Tata Group head office, in Mumbai on October 10, 2024. Indian industrialist Ratan Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, died at age 86 (Sujit Jaiswal/AFP)

This came into focus after Noel Tata was appointed as chairman of the trust on Friday, October 11, 2024, following the death of Ratan Tata who held the post prior.

Tata Trusts has philanthropic interests in education, art and culture. health, and livelihood generation, according to its website.

Meanwhile, Tata Sons Pvt Ltd was founded in 1917 and acts as the promoter and holding company of all the brands that come under the Tata Group umbrella. Natarajan Chandrasekaran has been its chairman since January 2017.

What was the story behind Noel Tata's appointment as chairman of Tata Trusts?

Ratan Tata passed away at Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital on the night of October 09, 2024, at the age of 86 from issues related to old age.

He never married and left behind no children, which made his succession a prominent point of focus.

Ratan Tata was the son of Naval Tata and his first wife Sooni Tata. His parents separated in 1948 when he was just around 10 years old. Meanwhile, Noel Tata was the son of Naval Tata and his second wife Simone Tata, making him his half-brother.