Simone Tata, Pioneer Behind Iconic Brands Lakme, Westside, Passes Away At 95
Simone Tata was the step-mother of late industrialist Ratan Tata, and the mother of Tata Trusts' chairperson, Noel Tata
Late industrialist Ratan Tata's stepmother, Simone Tata, passed away on Friday at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai after a brief illness. She was 95 years old.
The last respects have been scheduled on Saturday, December 6, from 9.00 a.m. to 10.30 a.m. at Cathedral of the Holy Name Church, Colaba, followed by mass at 11.00 a.m, a statement from the Tata Group said.
A quiet but formidable presence in Indian business, Simone Tata is remembered for transforming Lakmé into India’s leading cosmetics brand and laying the groundwork for modern fashion retail through the Westside chain of stores.
The statement read, "Simone Tata will remembered for her contribution to the growth of Lakmé as India’s leading cosmetic brand and laying the foundation for fashion retail with the Westside chain. She also guided the work of many philanthropic organisations, including the Sir Ratan Tata Institute. With her positivity and deep resolve she overcame many challenges in her life while touching many of us deeply. May her soul rest in peace and God give us the strength to overcome this loss."
Who Was Simone Tata?
Simone Naval Tata (née Dunoyer) was born in March 1930 in Geneva, Switzerland. She first came to India as a tourist in the 1950s, where she met Naval Tata, industrialist and philanthropist from the storied Tata family. The two got married in 1955, and she settled permanently in Mumbai.
Through this marriage, Simone became stepmother to Ratan Tata and Jimmy Tata from Naval’s first marriage, and later mother to Noel Tata, currently the chairman of Tata Trusts and chairman of three Tata Group companies. Simone Tata was just seven years older to her stepson Ratan Tata.
Simone Tata joined the board of Lakmé in the early 1960s, at a time when the brand was still a small operation under Tata Oil Mills. Over the following decades, her strategic and brand-building leadership helped turn Lakmé into a mass-market yet aspirational Indian beauty label, competing with global cosmetics giants and becoming a household name.
In the mid-1990s, when Lakmé was sold to Hindustan Lever (now Hindustan Unilever), she led the creation of Trent Limited using the proceeds of that sale. Trent launched the Westside chain, which became one of India’s most influential department store formats and a flagship of the Tata Group’s retail presence.
