From Jamsetji Tata to N Chandrasekaran: The titans who've led Tata Group in 157 years

Tata Sons succession: 157 years. Six chairmen. One empire that today touches almost every Indian household — salt, steel, cars, coffee, code. It started with Jamsetji Tata's audacious vision in 1868, passed through JRD Tata's 50-year stewardship, survived a bitter boardroom battle with Cyrus Mistry, and was rebuilt by Ratan Tata into a global powerhouse.

Now, in a twist nobody saw coming, current chairman N Chandrasekaran has announced he's stepping down when his term ends in 2027 — leaving the Tata Group searching for its next leader. From salt to software, here's how 7 extraordinary individuals shaped one of the world's most trusted business houses — and why Chandrasekaran's sudden exit has everyone talking.

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Jamsetji Tata (1868-1904; 36 years)

Born in March 1839, Jamsetji Tata founded the Tata Group in 1868, beginning with a trading company at the age of 29 with only ₹21,000 capital. Later, he entered sectors like textiles, steel, hydroelectric power and education.

The industrialist had 4 main goals: setting up an iron and steel company, a world-class learning institution, a unique hotel and a hydroelectric plant. Only the hotel became a reality during his lifetime, with the inauguration of the Taj Mahal Hotel at Mumbai's Colaba Waterfront in December 1903.

Beyond business, he focused on worker welfare and philanthropy. Although Jamsetji Tata passed away in 1904, his major ambitions, including Tata Steel and the Indian Institute of Science, were realised only after his death.

Sir Dorabji Tata (1904-1932; 28 years)

During his 28-year-long tenure as Tata Group chairman, Sir Dorabji Tata mostly focused on turning his father Jamsetji's vision of a modern idea and steel industry into reality. Sir Dorabji Tata established the Tata Steel conglomerate in 1907 and Tata Power in 1911. He also played an instrumental role in laying the foundation of the Indian Institute of Science in 1909.

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Under his management, the company grew from a business that included 3 cotton mills and the Taj Hotel Bombay to one that included India's largest private sector steel company, 3 electric companies and one of India's leading insurance companies.

He founded the New India Assurance Co Ltd. in 1919, the largest General Insurance company in India. He was knighted in January 1910 as Sir Dorabji Tata by the then King of England Edward VII. Besides this, he was also a member of the International Olympic Committee during most of the years between World War 1 and World War 2.

Nowroji Saklatvala (1932-1938; 6 years)

After succeeding Sir Dorabji Tata as chairman of the Tata Group in 1932, Saklatvala became the conglomerate's third leader. Born in 1875, Nowroji Saklatvala was a trusted lieutenant of Sir Dorabji Tata. He started as an apprentice in one of the mills on a pay of ₹50 per month in 1889.

During his short tenure, he focused on labour welfare by giving them benefits and privileges which were unheard of at the time. Two of these were a profit-sharing scheme and raising the wages of the lowest-paid workers, besides improving the service conditions of temporary employees at Tata Steel.

JRD Tata (1938-1991; 53 years)

In his tenure of over 5 decades, the legendary industrialist oversaw its transformation from an industrial business into a diversified conglomerate. The group entered aviation, chemicals, automobiles, hotels and IT during his tenure. JRD Tata played a key role in building major Tata companies including Tata Motors, TCS, Titan Industries, and Tata Airlines. He was awarded the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian honour, in 1992.

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Ratan Tata (1991-2012; 21 years)

In 1991, he stepped into JRD Tata's shoes at a time when the Indian economy was opening to global competition. During his tenure of more than 2 decades, the conglomerate was on a global expansion spree. Key acquisitions included Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, Corus, and Brunner Mond.

TCS emerged as a global IT services major during Ratan Tata's tenure. He also expanded the group's presence across automobiles, steel, telecom, and hospitality. In 2012, he stepped down and was succeeded by Cyrus Mistry.

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Cyrus Mistry (2012-2016; 4 years)

After taking over the reins from Ratan Tata, Mistry focused on streamlining operations and improving returns on capital while reviewing several businesses and investments. His tenure came to an abrupt halt in October 2016 when the Tata board removed him as Chairman. Following his highly publicised removal, Ratan Tata was named interim chairman and remained in the role until Chandrasekaran took charge in 2017.

N Chandrasekaran (2017-2027*; 10 years)

In February 2017, he took over the reins as the first non-Parsi professional executive to lead the Tata Group after Cyrus Mistry's much-publicised ouster. Unlike Mistry, Chandrasekaran came from within the Tata ecosystem. He joined TCS as an intern in 1987 and rose through the ranks to become its CEO in 2009.

Among his most noteworthy achievements was the return of Air India to the Tata Group in 2022 after more than 69 years since the airline was nationalised in 1953. Chandrasekaran also initiated and managed the merger and integration of Air India, Vistara and AirAsia India. Further, he spearheaded the Tata Group's aggressive push into high-tech infrastructure, including semiconductor manufacturing and battery cell gigafactories.