Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw mourns Simone Tata, calls her a trailblazing icon of Indian industry

Biocon founder Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw on Friday expressed deep grief over the passing of Simone Tata, the trailblazing business leader who shaped India’s beauty and retail sectors through her stewardship of Lakmé and the Westside chain. Remembering her on X, Mazumdar-Shaw called Simone Tata her “shero” and a “doyen of women business leaders,” praising her foresight in establishing Lakmé as a household name. She said Tata’s “acumen and courage” defined an era in Indian cosmetics and described her legacy as one that “will remain etched in history forever.”

Simone Tata died at the age of 95 on Friday morning at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after a brief illness. She was the mother of Tata Trusts chairperson Noel Tata and the stepmother of the late Ratan Tata.

The Tata Group confirmed her passing and announced that her funeral would be held on Saturday at the Cathedral of the Holy Name in Colaba. In a tribute, the conglomerate said she would be remembered for transforming Lakmé into India’s leading cosmetics company and for laying the foundation of modern fashion retail through Westside. It also acknowledged her long-standing involvement with philanthropic institutions, including the Sir Ratan Tata Institute.

Born Simone Naval Dunoyer in Geneva, she arrived in India in the early 1950s as a traveller and married Naval H. Tata in 1955, beginning a lifelong association with the Tata family. She joined the board of Lakmé in 1961, when it operated as a small division of Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO). Over the next several decades, she steered the brand through rapid evolution, helping it become one of India’s most recognised names in beauty and personal care.

By 1982, she had become chairperson, guiding the company into a period of expansion that would redefine the country’s cosmetics landscape. Her leadership earned her the title “Cosmetic Czarina of India,” a reflection of her exceptional influence on consumer trends and the wider retail ecosystem.

In its statement, the Tata Group said, “With her positivity and deep resolve, she overcame many challenges while touching many lives. May her soul rest in peace, and may we find strength in this moment of loss.”

Simone Tata is survived by her son Noel Tata, daughter-in-law Aloo Mistry and grandchildren Neville, Maya and Leah.