Former Tata Sons director RK Krishnakumar dies in Mumbai

RK Krishnakumar, a Tata Group veteran and former Tata Sons director, died in Mumbai on January 1, 2023. 
 
Krishnakumar is well-known for his role in several Tata Group acquisitions, including the £ 271 million buy-out of Tetley in 2000, which made Tata Global Beverages the world's second largest tea company.
 
Krishnakumar continued to hold trustee positions for the Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata Trusts, which together own 66 percent of Tata Sons, and he continued to be a member of the Tata Administrative Service.
 
Krishnakumar received the Padma Shri, India's fourth-highest civilian honour, in 2009 for his contributions to the country's trade and business.
 
In 1963, Krishnakumar began working for Tata Administrative Services. He joined Tata Global Beverages, then known as Tata Finlay, in 1965 and worked there through the company's transformation into Tata Tea, rising to the position of vice president of South India Plantations in 1982.