Who Are Maya And Leah Tata? The Tata Sisters Now Serve On The Ratan Tata Institute Board

A major step for the Tata family is that Leah and Maya Tata, daughters of Noel Tata, have been elected to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute, SRTII. This development comes after the demise of their uncle, Ratan Tata, the former revered chairman of Tata Group, and amid a transformation at the family-owned conglomerate.

Leah and Maya induction to this exalted position symbolizes not only the continuity of the Tata family’s leadership but also heralds the emergence of the next generation in one of India’s most prominent business empires. Two sisters and brother Neville Tata will be taking centre stage for the Tata Group in the future.

The Tata Empire’s Next Generation

The Tata family’s future leadership now finds Leah and Maya Tata on the same grounds as her super-competent, high-performance level professionals. In fact, after Ratan Tata died in October 2023, Noel Tata stepped in to head Tata Trusts. He continues to hold significant positions within Tata Sons Ltd-the parent company that governs the diverse Tata Group business ventures.

Together, the Tata siblings — Leah, Maya, and Neville — are expected to continue the family’s strong philanthropic and business legacy. Their strategic roles within the Tata Trusts and other subsidiaries ensure that the future of the Tata Group will be shaped by the vision and values laid down by their predecessors.

Who Are Leah And Maya Tata?

The eldest of three children from Noel Tata, Leah Tata has carved a niche within the hospitality industry. Presently working as the Vice President at The Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), she is a part of the Tata Group’s arm in hospitality. Leah has been working with the company in this capacity since 2015 and has worked toward spearheading the strategic initiatives undertaken by the company.

Ms Leah, 39, holds an MSc in Marketing from IE Business School, Madrid, Spain. She has been working with Tata since 2006 as Assistant Sales Manager in Taj Hotels Resorts & Palaces. Besides the experience she garnered while working in IHCL, Ms Leah did an internship of three months in Louis Vuitton, the luxury brand in 2010 and thus adds on to the experience in international business.

Over the years, she has been instrumental in developing the operations and brand portfolio of the Tata Group’s hospitality sector.

Except for her corporate pursuits, Leah is highly devoted to charity work. She and her brothers are trustees to the Tata Medical Centre Trust (TMCT), which runs a cancer hospital in Kolkata. The hospital, launched by Ratan Tata is one of the cornerstones of charitable work done by the Tata family.

Maya Tata: The Digital Innovator

Maya Tata is the 36-year-old younger sister of Leah. She has found her space in the tech and digital industries. She currently works at Tata Digital, a subsidiary of Tata Sons, and has been instrumental in the launch of the Tata Neu app, an e-commerce and digital services platform designed to improve customer experiences across various sectors.

Maya is a Bayes Business School and Warwick University, UK, graduate. There, she refined her business and management skills. Before joining Tata Digital, she began her career with the Tata Opportunities Fund, a division of Tata Capital, working in portfolio management and investor relations. Her experience in the digital domain marks her as an important player in the Tata Group’s ongoing digital transformation efforts.

Together with her siblings, Maya has also been very active in the philanthropic sector, particularly in Tata Medical Centre Trust.

The Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute is an initiative under the Sir Ratan Tata Trust that aims at women’s employment in industries. Established in 1928 by Lady Navajbai Tata and the Stri Zarthostri Mandal, it provides skills training and employment to empower women.

The sisters take over the places of Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati on the board, both of whom have served in important positions within the organization for several years. However, the change did not come without controversy.

Kotwal, who is based in Dubai and works with VFS Global, said she was disappointed that she had not received communication from the trustees about her exit from the board. In the letter she addressed the other trustees expressing her surprise regarding the unexpected way she was dismissed.

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