N Chandrasekaran will not seek reappointment as Tata Sons chairman, to serve remaining term

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran has decided not to offer himself for reappointment when his current term ends on February 20, 2027.

Chandrasekaran has written to the board saying he will serve the remaining period of his current term and has asked the Board to decide on the succession soon to ensure a proper transition.

In a statement, Chandrasekaran said, “I have completed 40 years of professional life at the Tata Group. I am grateful for the immensely satisfying opportunity to contribute to this

venerable institution.”

Chandrasekaran said, “My current tenure as the Chairman of Tata Sons comes to an end on February 20, 2027.”

He added that the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust had unanimously resolved and recommended the extension of his next term for a period of five years, which was subsequently recorded and recommended by the Tata Sons Nomination and Remuneration Committee and the Board.

The proposal was tabled at the Tata Sons Board on February 24, 2026. “However, the proposal was not carried through because one of the Board Members did not support it, and in the absence of unanimous support, I chose to defer the decision,” Chandrasekaran said.

“It has been 6 months since that Board meeting, and no resolution has been reached till date,” he said.

Chandrasekaran said Tata Sons has “many strategic projects that are under critical stages of execution” and that “clarity on leadership is important for employees, investors, partners and other stakeholders.”

“Under these circumstances, earlier today, I have communicated to the Tata Sons Board, that I have decided not to offer myself for reappointment when my term ends on Feb 20, 2027,” he said.

He added: “I have asked the Board to decide on the succession soon to ensure a proper transition.”

In July 2025, the recommendation for extending Chandrasekaran’s chairmanship had set two conditions for renewal: Tata Sons must remain unlisted, and a solution must be found for the SP Group’s stake in the holding company, which requires liquidity.

A February 2026 meeting had deferred the renewal and instead taken up the turnaround of five Tata Group companies, including Air India and Tata Digital.

Chandrasekaran will be 65 at the conclusion of his second term in February 2027. The Tata Group has a retirement norm under which executives generally step down from active roles at 65.