Noel Tata Signals Retirement as Trent's Chairman at AGM

Noel Tata will reportedly step down as chairman of Tata Group's retail arm Trent, concluding a tenure of nearly three decades with the company.

"As you might be aware, this will be my last annual general meeting as chairman," media reports quoted Tata as telling shareholders at Trent's 47th AGM on June 23. Tata will turn 70 in November, and under Tata Group's governance policy, non-executive directors retire at that age.

Tata joined Trent's board as a director in 1998, around the time the company was set up following the divestment of beauty and cosmetics brand Lakme. He took over as Trent's first managing director in June 1999.

Trent's Growth Under His Watch

During his tenure, Trent expanded from a single Westside store to a network of over 1,200 stores. The company's revenue grew from around ₹2,333 crore in FY14 to ₹19,701 crore in FY26.

"From a single Westside store to a network of over 1,200 stores, our journey has been one of steady evolution. Over the years we have added powerful growth engines to our portfolio — most notably Zudio and Star — which are now a significant part of our portfolio," Tata reportedly said in Trent's FY26 annual report.

Tata said he remained optimistic about the company's prospects. "As we look ahead, I firmly believe that the best years of Trent are ahead of us. The opportunities before us are vast — not just in India," he said, adding that Trent would expand across categories and explore new geographies in the years ahead.