Ratan Tata dismisses Parsi factor

Tata Sons Chairman Ratan Tata today said his successor would neither be a pro-Parsi nor an anti-Parsi, but the right person. Tata Sons is the promoter company of the $71-billion Tata Group.

“The Tata Group is an Indian group and we should not be looking (at it) as a Parsi group. The successor should be the right person and not anti-Parsi or pro-Parsi,” he said. He was speaking at the annual general meeting of Tata Chemicals, a group company.

The market has been speculating that Noel Tata, half-brother of Ratan Tata, is the top contender for the next chairman’s post.

“The media is giving undue publicity – they are doing good speculation, which is unnecessary,” said Ratan Tata.

Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, who was born into a Parsi family, had formed the Tata group in the early years of the last century.

The group is searching for a successor to Ratan Tata, who turns 75 in December 2012. The conglomerate has an official policy of retirement at 75.

Ratan Tata has been leading the group for the past 20 years. He said he had made the provisions to have a committee for succession 10 years earlier.