One of India's most respected businessmen and former chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata, passed away on Wednesday, October 9, 2024, at the age of 86.
Following his demise, speculation has arisen about who will take over the vast empire of Tata Sons.
Ratan Tata was widely known for his philanthropic efforts and was one of India's leading industrialists when it came to charitable donations.
Through the Tata Trusts, he contributed significantly to education, healthcare, rural development, and disaster relief during his lifetime.
As Ratan Tata never married and had no children, the question of who will inherit his wealth has become a topic of interest.
To understand who might take the reins of Tata's empire, it's important to know about his family. Ratan Tata’s parents were Naval Tata and Sooni Tata, who divorced around the 1940s.
Naval Tata later married Swiss-born Simone in 1955. Their son is Noel Tata, and since Ratan Tata did not have children, it is widely believed that his stepbrother Noel Tata and his relatives may inherit the substantial fortune. Noel Tata has three children: Maya, Neville, and Leah Tata.
Maya Tata, the daughter of Ratan Tata's stepbrother Noel Tata, is a potential heir to Ratan Tata's wealth. At 34 years old, Maya has degrees from the Bayes Business School and the University of Warwick.
She began her career with the Tata Opportunity Fund and later moved to Tata Digital, where she played a key role in developing and launching the Tata Neu app.
Currently, she serves on the board of the Tata Medical Center Trust alongside her siblings. Maya Tata's mother is the sister of the late Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of the Tata Group, and the daughter of the late billionaire Pallonji Mistry.
Neville Tata, Maya Tata's brother and 32 years old, is involved in the family business and is also seen as a potential successor to Ratan Tata's empire. He is married to Manasi Kirloskar, the heiress of the Toyota Kirloskar Group.
Neville Tata is currently leading Star Bazaar, a hypermarket chain under Trent Limited. Initially, he was tasked with managing the packaged food and beverage division, and after proving his capabilities, he took on responsibilities for both Hypercity and Westside.
Many experts believe that he is being groomed as a successor to the Tata Group.
Leah Tata, the sister of Neville and Maya Tata, is involved in the group's hospitality business. She studied at IE Business School in Spain and has worked with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces.
Currently, she manages operations at the Indian Hotels Company. Leah also completed a brief internship at Louis Vuitton in 2010, but her primary focus has always been on the hotel industry.
