Meet Maya Tata and Leah Tata, daughters of Noel Tata, who get key role in Ratan Tata Institute's board

Leah and Maya Tata, daughters of Noel Tata, the chairman of Tata Trusts, have been inducted into the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII). This development comes months after the passing of Noel’s half-brother, Ratan Tata, the iconic industrialist and former chairman of the Tata Group.

Both Leah and Maya belong to the next generation of the Tata family, alongside their brother Neville. Their father, Noel Tata, took over as chairman of Tata Trusts following Ratan Tata's death in October last year. Noel Tata also serves on the board of Tata Sons, the conglomerate’s holding company.

A Closer Look at Leah and Maya Tata
Leah Tata, 39, is the eldest of Noel Tata’s children. She is currently the Vice President at Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), the Tata Group’s hospitality arm. Leah holds a master’s degree in marketing from IE Business School in Spain and began her journey with the Tata Group in 2006 as an Assistant Sales Manager at Taj Hotels. She briefly interned with Louis Vuitton in 2010 but has primarily focused on expanding the group’s hotel operations.

Maya Tata, 36, is a graduate of Bayes Business School and Warwick University in the UK. She started her career at Tata Opportunities Fund, a part of Tata Capital, specializing in portfolio management and investor relations. Currently, she is with Tata Digital and played a significant role in launching the Tata Neu app.

Both sisters are trustees of the Tata Medical Centre Trust, which runs a cancer hospital in Kolkata.

Joining SRTII
The sisters have now been appointed to the board of trustees of SRTII, a unit of Sir Ratan Tata Trust. This institute, established in 1928, focuses on creating employment opportunities for women. Leah and Maya replaced outgoing trustees Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati.

However, the change has sparked some controversy, with Kotwal expressing dissatisfaction over the process, feeling blindsided by the decision. Despite this, the appointment was unanimously approved by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust’s board, which sought trustees with experience in managing SRTII’s affairs and a local presence in Mumbai.

Leah and Maya’s inclusion is seen as a strategic move to prepare them for larger responsibilities within the Tata Group.