Tata Group's N Chandrasekaran honoured with UK's Most Excellent OBE honour

Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Group, has been conferred with The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) in recognition of his contributions to UK-India business relations.  

 

Expressing his gratitude for the honour, Chandrasekaran said, “I am deeply humbled by this prestigious recognition, for which I am grateful to His Majesty, King Charles.”  

 

He further expressed pride on behalf of the Tata Group for its strong strategic relationship with the UK across the technology, consumer, hospitality, steel, chemicals, and automotive sectors. “We are incredibly proud of our iconic British brands like Jaguar Land Rover and Tetley. We employ more than 70,000 people in the UK. We enjoy fruitful and world-class research and academic partnerships with great institutions in this country which include the University of Oxford, the London School of Economics, the University of Warwick and the University of Swansea,” Chandrasekaran said.  

 

 

Acknowledging the support from the UK government, he said, “I would also like to express, on behalf of the Tata Group, my deep thanks to HM Government for their support for the Group. It is a strong and enduring relationship, and I look forward to strengthening our presence in the UK further. Thank you once again for paying me this great honour.”  

 

The list of foreign recipients of British honours includes other notable figures such as Dagmar Dolby, co-founder of the Ray and Dagmar Dolby Family Fund; Eric Schmidt, former CEO and Chairman of Google; Jason Furman, Professor of Economics at Harvard University; and Rajinder Dhatt, a founder member of the Undivided Indian Ex-Servicemen’s Association.  

 

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (Civil Division) is awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions in fields such as the arts, sciences, charitable endeavours, and public service outside of the civil service.  

 

About Natarajan Chandrasekaran 

 

Natarajan Chandrasekaran has been the chairman of Tata Sons since 2017, having joined its board in October 2016. He also chairs the boards of key Tata Group companies, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, and Air India.  

 

Following the leadership crisis after the departure of his predecessor, Cyrus Mistry, Chandrasekaran played a pivotal role in stabilising the group and restoring confidence. As the first non-Parsi to lead Tata Group, he has focused on the ‘One Tata’ strategy, streamlining operations and fostering synergy across its businesses. Under his leadership, Tata Group has expanded into new sectors, including semiconductors, electronics manufacturing, consumer internet platforms, mobile technology, and battery giga-factories.  

 

In 2023, Chandrasekaran was also awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the ‘Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur’ (Knight of the Legion of Honour), by French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Catherine Colonna. The recognition was bestowed for his role in strengthening commercial ties between India and France.