Natarajan Chandrasekaran is set to step down as Chairman of Tata Sons after nearly four decades with the Tata Group. His resignation comes ahead of the company's Annual General Meeting (AGM), scheduled for August 18. His current term is due to end in February 2027, and Chandrasekaran has said he will not seek reappointment after completing his term.
"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. Leading Tata Sons over the past decade has been a great honour and a profound responsibility," he said.
As Chandrasekaran prepares to step down, his journey from a Tamil-medium government school in a village in Tamil Nadu to the top position at one of India's most prominent business groups has drawn attention. Here is a look at his educational qualifications, career, and achievements.
N Chandrasekaran Educational Qualification
Chandrasekaran was born in 1963 into a farming family in Mohanur village in Tamil Nadu's Namakkal district. He began his schooling at a Tamil-medium government school in his village. According to reports, he and his brothers would walk more than 3 km to reach school.
After completing his schooling, Chandrasekaran pursued a Bachelor's degree in Applied Sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology (CIT). In 1986, he completed a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) from the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli, now known as the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli (NIT Trichy).
N Chandrasekaran's Career At Tata Group
After completing his postgraduate studies, Chandrasekaran joined Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in 1987. He spent 30 years at TCS and served as its Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director (CEO & MD) for eight years until 2017.
Under his leadership, TCS became India's most valuable company. He was appointed Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017.
Chandrasekaran also chairs the boards of several Tata Group companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, Tata Power, Air India, Tata Consumer Products, and The Indian Hotels Company.
At the Tata Group, Chandrasekaran has pursued the "One Tata" strategy, centred on simplification, scale and synergy.
He is also a member of the International Advisory Council of Singapore's Economic Development Board, the International Advisory Committee of Mitsubishi, and the Board of Governors of the New York Academy of Sciences. He is also Co-Chair of the India-US CEO Forum.
Awards And Recognitions
Chandrasekaran has received several major national and international honours. He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, one of India's highest civilian honours, in 2022. In 2023, he received France's highest civilian honour, the Légion d'Honneur.
In 2025, he was conferred an Honorary Knighthood of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire.
Chandrasekaran has also received honorary doctorates from leading universities in India and abroad, including an honorary Doctor of Letters from Macquarie University in Australia, a Doctor Honoris Causa from Nyenrode University in the Netherlands, and a Doctor of Letters from the Regional Engineering College, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu.
He is also the author of Bridgital Nation, a book that explores how technological disruption can be harnessed to help bring Indians closer to their aspirations.
