N Chandrasekaran has decided not to seek re-appointment tendering his resignation, a move coming days ahead of the company’s annual general meeting (AGM) on August 18.

Chandrasekaran had an illustrious 40 years of career with the Tata Sons where he rose through the ranks to become the CEO of Tata Consultancy Services in 2009 and the chairman of the group in 2017.

“I have completed 40 years of professional life at the Tata Group. I am grateful for the immensely satisfying opportunity to contribute to this venerable institution. Leading Tata Sons over the past decade has been a great honour and a profound responsibility,” he said in his letter.

Here’s a timeline of the key development’s of Chandrasekaran’s journey:

Journey at TCS:

N Chandrasekaran joined TCS in 1987 and rose through the ranks. He was later appointed as its chief executive officer and managing director in 2009, and was later appointed chairman of TCS in 2017.

Joins Tata Sons board in 2016:

Chandrasekaran joined the board of Tata Sons in October 2016, after spending several years leading Tata Consultancy Services (TCS).

Tata Sons Chairman in 2017:

Tata Sons announced Chandrasekaran as its new executive chairman, taking over from Ratan Tata. He became the first non-Parsi and non-Tata to lead the group, and ended a leadership structure closely associated with the Tata family.

Ratan Tata had returned as interim chairman after Cyrus Mistry was removed from the post in October 2016.

Years of expansion:

Tata group focused on expansion in areas including technology, consumer businesses, electric vehicles, aviation and electronics. Tata Sons also worked to consolidate some of its businesses and improve their financial performance.

New age businesses:

He also led the conglomerate towards expansion into new-age businesses with its presence in areas such as digital services, electric vehicles, electronics manufacturing and aviation.

Further, Tata Digital was set up as the group’s digital business arm, while Tata Motors increased its focus on electric vehicles.

The Air India Story:

Tata Group completed the acquisition of the Air India from the government in January 2022. It subsequently brought Air India, Vistara and other aviation operations under a broader airline business, and also announced plans to merge Air India and Vistara to create a larger full-service airline.

In the same year (2022), he got an extension for reappointed as executive chairman for another five-year term. His second term is scheduled to run until February 2027.

Expansion in manufacturing:

Under the leadership of N Chandrasekaran, Tata Electronics announced investments in semiconductor manufacturing and assembly, while the group expanded its plans in areas such as batteries and electric vehicles.

2026: The Reappointment issue

Board of Tata Sons deferred the decision on N Chandrasekaran’s reappointment as chairman. As per the reports, the move followed reservations raised by Noel Tata over the performance of some of the group’s newer businesses.