Exclusive | Tata Sons Board defers decision on N Chandrasekaran’s extension until June meet: Sources

Tata Sons has deferred a decision on extending Chairman N Chandrasekaran’s term after Tuesday's board meet, with the matter now pushed to the next board meeting in June, sources told CNBC‑TV18.

Sources added that Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata asked for certain conditions to be linked to N Chandrasekaran's re-appointment. He flagged losses in some of the group’s businesses.

With no consensus emerging, both Noel Tata and Chandrasekaran opted to defer the discussion rather than proceed to a vote.

Chandrasekaran will continue as Chairman until February 2027, as previously approved.

Chandrasekaran, who has led the Tata Group since 2017, has overseen major transformations across key businesses, including aviation, steel, and digital ventures.

The delay leaves the conglomerate’s succession planning open‑ended, with no clarity yet on whether the board will offer him another term at the helm.

Earlier, CNBC-TV18 reported that the board of Tata Sons is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, February 24, to consider extending Chairman N Chandrasekaran’s tenure for a third term of five years.

If approved, the extension will secure Chandrasekaran's position as the chairperson of the group until 2032. His current term is set to conclude in February 2027.

Chandra, as he is more popularly called, has been at the helm of the Tata Group’s holding company since 2017, after the board ousted Cyrus Mistry.

The board will deliberate on whether to renew his leadership mandate for another five-year period.

Read more: AI is a 'civilisational change': N Chandrasekaran sees big opportunity for India’s IT

Chandra served as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) from 2009.

A long-time Tata Group executive, he joined the company in 1987 and was appointed to the Tata Sons board on October 25, 2016.

The Tata Sons board currently comprises Chandra, Venu Srinivasan, Anita George, Noel Tata, Harish Manwani and Saurabh Agrawal.

Apart from the leadership decision, the board is also expected to review key business updates related to major Tata Group companies.

Read more: Tata Group bets big on AI, partners with OpenAI to build scalable, inclusive solutions

A decision on the tenure extension, if approved, would provide continuity at the top of one of India’s largest and most diversified business groups

This is a developing story, and further details from the meeting will be updated as they come.