N Chandrasekaran Gets Historic Third Term As Tata Sons Chairman: Tracking His Journey To The Top Seat

Marking a significant departure from its retirement policy, Tata Trusts has granted a historic third term to N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons. His current term ends in February 2027, when he turns 65. 

According to the group's rules, executives are required to retire by the age of 65. They can only stay on in non-executive roles until the age of 70. However, the group has made an exception this time, The Economic Times reported on Monday.

Chandrasekaran can now continue as chairman of Tata Sons until 2032, reflecting the group's confidence in his leadership. The announcement also comes at a time when Tata Trusts is facing an intensified internal battle over governance and board-related issues.

Chandrasekaran is the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group. He joined the Board in October 2016 and became chairman in January 2017. 

Before this role, he spent 30 years at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), where he served as CEO and MD for eight years. During his leadership, TCS grew significantly and became India’s most valuable company.

At Tata Group, Chandrasekaran is known for his “One Tata” strategy focused on simplification, scale and synergy. He is now leading the group’s shift toward sustainability, according to the group’s website. Under his leadership, Tata has entered new sectors like semiconductors, electronics, digital platforms and battery giga-factories.

In addition to his role at Tata Sons, Chandrasekaran serves on the International Advisory Council of Singapore’s Economic Development Board and Mitsubishi’s International Advisory Committee. 

He is Chairman of the Society and Board of Governors at IIM Lucknow and a member of the IMF Managing Director's Advisory Council on Entrepreneurship and Growth.

Chandrasekaran has received several prestigious honours, including the Padma Bhushan in 2022 and France’s Légion d’Honneur in 2023. 

In addition, Chandrasekaran has been awarded several honorary doctorates. He has authored 'Bridgital Nation', a book on using technology to empower India. He has also served on the Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) from 2016 to 2022.

The Tata Sons Chairman holds a Master's degree in Computer Applications from the Regional Engineering College, Trichy, Tamil Nadu (now NIT Trichy). Prior to that, he earned his Bachelor's degree in Applied Sciences from Coimbatore Institute of Technology in 1983, his LinkedIn profile states.

Chandrasekaran lives in Mumbai with his wife Lalitha. The couple has a son.