Simone Tata, mother of Noel Tata and stepmother of former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, has passed away in Mumbai at the age of 95. She has been regarded as a pioneering business leader who has transformed Lakmé into India’s first major homegrown cosmetics brand before its sale to Hindustan Unilever in the 1990s.
Tata has been recovering from an illness and has been admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai this August after initial treatment at King’s Hospital in Dubai. She has been survived by her son Noel, his wife Aloo Mistry, and grandchildren Neville, Maya and Leah.
She has left behind a strong legacy in business and philanthropy, having guided Lakmé through its formative decades. She has also played a key role in laying the foundation for modern fashion retail in India through Trent and its formats such as Westside and Zudio.
Her association with the Tata Group began after she arrived in India from Geneva in 1953 and married Naval H. Tata in 1955. She formally joined Lakmé’s board in 1961, when it was a small subsidiary under TOMCO. She has championed the vision of building India-specific cosmetics for Indian women and has steered the brand’s growth, becoming chairperson in 1982.
For her contributions to the industry, she has often been referred to as the “Cosmetic Czarina of India”.
During the post-liberalisation phase, Lakmé and Hindustan Unilever formed a 50:50 joint venture in 1996, followed by the sale of Lakmé’s brands to HUL in 1998. Lakmé has then shifted its focus to apparel retail, leading to the establishment and expansion of Trent within the Tata Group.
Her impactful career has continued to inspire generations of Indian entrepreneurs and business leaders, ensuring that her work and contributions remain widely recognised even today.
