Noel Naval Tata, the newly appointed chairman of Tata Trusts, made his first public appearance after the sad demise of Ratan Tata earlier in October. Noel was seen at the inauguration of the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara, India’s first private facility to build military planes, where C295 aircraft will be produced. Noel along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spain PM Pedro Sanchez took a walkthrough of the exhibition on the occasion of the facility launch.
It was the 67-year-old Noel’s first public outing after Ratan Tata’s demise due to age-related illness. Noel, the half-brother of Ratan Tata, was named chairman of Tata Trusts and all trusts covered under it just 48 hours after the passing away of the patriarch.
“I am deeply honoured and humbled by the responsibility that has been cast on me by my fellow trustees. I look forward to carrying on the legacy of Ratan N Tata and the founders of the Tata Group,’’ Noel Tata had said in a statement. Tata Trusts holds a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the parent company of the $165-billion salt-to-software conglomerate.
Meanwhile, Modi conveyed his best wishes to the team of Airbus and Tata and also paid tributes to the late Ratan Tata. The Airbus C295, a medium tactical transport aircraft, is a part of the European multinational Airbus Defence and Space division. The highly specialized aircraft can also be used for medical evacuations, disaster response, and maritime patrol duties.
Modi said the project would play a key role in strengthening the relations between India and Spain and also give a big boost to the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ mission. “The (Tata-Airbus) facility is a reflection of India's new work culture. The construction of this factory started in October 2022 and is ready for production,” added Modi.
