Next-Gen Tata Leadership Emerges: Neville Tata Takes the Helm at Star Bazaar

Neville Tata, 32, has become the new head of Star Bazaar, marking the beginning of the next generation of Tata family leadership. Star Bazaar is the hypermarket division of Trent Ltd, the retail arm of the Tata Group.

Neville is the son of Noel Tata, the chairman of Trent Ltd, and the half-brother of Ratan Tata, the Tata Group patriarch and chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, the conglomerate’s holding company. Previously a non-executive director on the board of Trent Hypermarket, Neville has now moved into a more hands-on role as head of the business, according to those close to the situation.

A few years ago, Neville was involved in the hypermarket business before going abroad for further studies. Trent Ltd sees its hypermarket division as a key growth area. P Venkatesalu is the CEO of Trent Ltd.

Neville joined Trent in 2016 and has been responsible for packaged food and beverages before successfully managing Zudio, which has become one of the largest apparel brands in India.

“Neville will likely receive close guidance from his father, Noel Tata, as he takes charge. He may eventually become the CEO of the hypermarket or an executive director,” said the executives familiar with the matter.

Neville’s sisters, Leah and Maya Tata, are also active in Tata Group companies. Leah Tata recently took charge of the Gateway brand at Indian Hotels, and Maya Tata works at Tata Digital, focusing on analytics and technology.

Leah, Maya, and Neville have also been appointed as trustees of five trusts associated with the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Noel Tata also serves as the chairman of Voltas and a trustee of Tata Trusts, which holds a 66% stake in Tata Sons.

Trent Hypermarket, a 50-50 joint venture between Tata and British retailer Tesco, operates 66 Star Bazaar hypermarkets and supermarkets across India.