2 weeks ago
Chandra resigns as Tata Sons chairman after transformative decade
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who everyone calls Chandra, was the boss of a very big group of companies in India called Tata.
Tata makes many different things, like software, cars and steel, and it also runs an airline.
Chandra became the head of Tata in 2017.
People say he did a great job because the group's money nearly doubled and its profits tripled.
He bought an airline called Air India and started new businesses in electronics, computer chips and online shopping.
But some of the new businesses lost a lot of money, which was not good.
There was also a very sad crash of an Air India plane in 2025 in which more than 270 people died.
Chandra said it was the most heartbreaking moment of his career.
After about ten years, he decided to leave his job.
He leaves at a time when the people who control Tata disagree about how the company should be run.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the first non-Parsi outsider to lead Tata Sons, announced his resignation as chairman after nearly a decade.
Under his leadership, group revenue nearly doubled and profit roughly tripled between 2017 and 2026, crossing $180 billion in FY24-25.
He made big bets in aviation, semiconductors, electronics, batteries and digital commerce, including the 2022 purchase of Air India from the government.
Newer ventures faced losses, with Air India reporting a Rs 22,238 crore loss and Tata Digital nearly Rs 5,000 crore in FY26.
His final year was marked by tension with Tata Trusts and chairman Noel Tata over his proposed third term, board representation and strategy.
- Who
- Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons.
- What
- Announced his resignation as chairman, ending a nearly decade-long tenure at the helm of India's largest conglomerate.
- Where
- India, home of the Tata Group; the report is datelined New Delhi.
- When
- Took charge in February 2017; resignation announced after a nearly decade-long tenure, as of mid-2026.
- Why
- His final year was marked by an escalating rupture with the controlling charitable trusts over his proposed third term, board representation and strategy.
Expansionist perspective
Cautionary perspective
Growth strategy
Expansionist perspective
Chandra's strategy nearly doubled group revenue and roughly tripled profit between 2017 and 2026, with revenue crossing $180 billion in FY24-25.
Cautionary perspective
Big new bets are still losing money - Air India posted a Rs 22,238 crore loss and Tata Digital nearly Rs 5,000 crore in FY26.
Third term and governance
Expansionist perspective
Chandra's leadership had stabilised the group after Cyrus Mistry's ouster, and Tata Sons clashed with Tata Trusts over board representation, strategy and the handling of Shapoorji Pallonji's planned exit.
Cautionary perspective
Tata Trusts, led by Noel Tata, opposed the reappointment - friction over Chandra's proposed third term came into the open, and the dispute led to the ouster of a Tata Sons director.
Air India crash response
Expansionist perspective
Chandrasekaran called the June 2025 Ahmedabad crash the 'most heartbreaking' crisis of his career and urged staff to treat it as a catalyst for building a safer airline.
Cautionary perspective
Victims' families publicly objected to compensation terms requiring them to waive future legal claims before the investigation concluded; a year on, the probe remained unresolved.
Key facts
- Subject
- Natarajan Chandrasekaran ('Chandra')
- Role
- Chairman, Tata Sons
- Tenure
- Nearly a decade, taking charge in February 2017
- Group revenue
- Crossed $180 billion in FY24-25; closer to $360-380 billion including unlisted businesses
- Market capitalisation
- Roughly Rs 26 lakh crore across about 26 listed companies (mid-2026)
- Air India acquisition
- Bought from the Indian government in 2022
- 2025 air disaster
- Air India Boeing 787 Dreamliner crash in Ahmedabad killed at least 271 people
- Recent losses
- Air India: Rs 22,238 crore; Tata Digital: nearly Rs 5,000 crore (FY26)
Quotes
Natarajan Chandrasekaran
Chairman of Tata Sons
“"the most heartbreaking" crisis of his career”
thehansindia.com
Sources
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