Simone Tata

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Simone Tata
Born
Simone Dunoyer

(1930-03-02)2 March 1930
Geneva, Switzerland
Died5 December 2025(2025-12-05) (aged 95)
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
CitizenshipSwitzerland (former)[citation needed]
India
Spouse
​
​
(m. 1955; died 1989)​
ChildrenNoel Tata
RelativesTata family

Simone Naval Tata (née Dunoyer; 2 March 1930 – 5 December 2025) was an Indian businesswoman,[1] and a member of the Tata family.[2] She was the step-mother of Ratan Tata, and was a key figure in building Lakmé and founded Trent Ltd. Simone Tata played a significant role in India's beauty and retail sectors for over four decades. She was instrumental in establishing Trent (Westside).

Background

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Simone Tata was born on 2 March 1930, and brought up in Geneva, Switzerland. She graduated from Geneva University. Tata visited India as a tourist in 1953, where she met Naval H. Tata. They married in 1955, and Simone settled in Mumbai permanently.[3] Simone and Naval are the parents of Noel Tata. Simone is the stepmother of former Tata Group chairman, Ratan Tata, who is from Naval's previous marriage. She died on 5 December 2025, at the age of 95.[4]

Tata Group

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Simone Tata joined the Lakmé board in 1962, when it was a minor subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills, as managing director in 1961, rising to become its chairperson in 1982, and was non-executive chairman of Trent Limited until 30 October 2006.[5]

She was appointed to the board of Tata Industries in 1989.[6]

Seeing growth in the retail sector, in 1996, Tata sold Lakmé Cosmetics to Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL), and created Trent Limited with money from the sale.[7] All shareholders of Lakmé were given equivalent shares in Trent. The Westside brand and stores belong to Trent.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Simone Naval TATA". gov.uk. find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  2. ^ "The seven in the Tata clan". Financial Chronicle. Archived from the original on 21 August 2010. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  3. ^ "Simone Tata". The Asha Centre. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  4. ^ Simone Tata, Key Architect Of Lakmé & Trent Founder, Passes Away At 95
  5. ^ Kumar, Pramod (26 August 2007). "Simone Tata". The Sunday Indian. Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.
  6. ^ "Simone N Tata". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on 17 December 2014. Retrieved 17 December 2014.
  7. ^ K, Rukshana (27 July 2020). "Lakmé, One of India's leading Cosmetics Brands". Doer Life. Archived from the original on 1 August 2020. Retrieved 23 February 2023.
  8. ^ "ZARA to Big Basket: 7 lifestyle brands you probably didn't know are owned by TATA". The Financial Express. 13 September 2023. Retrieved 13 May 2025.


India

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