Simon Tata Who was Lakm and Westside Founder Dies at 95 (Source: X/ @richapintoi)
Ratan Tata’s stepmother, Simone Tata, passed away at the age of 95. She took her last breath on Friday morning at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital after a brief illness. She was the mother of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata. Simone Tata was considered one of India’s most successful and visionary women entrepreneurs, transforming the country’s cosmetics and retail industries. She was also the stepmother of late Ratan Tata.
Simone Naval Tata was a Swiss-born Indian businesswoman and a respected member of the Tata family. Simone Tata was married to Naval H. Tata, father of Ratan Tata. She was widely known for turning Lakmé into India’s top cosmetics brand and for founding the retail chain Westside. Simone Tata was the stepmother of the late industrialist Ratan Tata and the mother of Noel Tata, who is the current chairman of Tata Trusts.
Simone Tata was born in 1930 and raised in Geneva, Switzerland. She graduated from Geneva University. During a tourist visit to India in 1953, she met Naval H. Tata. They married in 1955, and Simone settled permanently in Mumbai. Simone and Naval Tata were the parents of Noel Tata.
She was 95 years old at the time of her death, born in March 1930 and passing away on 5 December 2025.
Simone Tata was married to Naval H. Tata, who died in 1989. Naval Tata was a leading industrialist in the Tata Group and the father of Ratan Tata from his first marriage. Simone and Naval met in 1953 in India and married two years later. They had one son together, Noel Tata, who is currently the chairman of Trent and Tata Trusts.
Simone Tata had one biological son, Noel Tata. She was also the stepmother to her husband's two sons from a previous marriage, Ratan Tata and Jimmy Tata
Simone Tata’s exact personal net worth is not publicly known, but her legacy includes building the Trent retail empire, which owns Westside and Zudio and has reached a market value of ₹1 lakh crore. She also played a key role in the growth of Lakmé. Her son, Noel Tata, now leads this retail giant, with an estimated net worth of around $1.5 billion (over ₹12,000 crore), reflecting the immense family wealth that stems from her pioneering contributions to Indian retail and the broader Tata Group.
Simone Tata joined the Lakmé board in 1962, when it was a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills, and became managing director in 1961. She rose to chairperson in 1982 and served as non-executive chairman of Trent Limited until 30 October 2006. In 1989, she was also appointed to the board of Tata Industries.
Simone Tata was Ratan Tata’s stepmother, having married his father, Naval Tata. Their relationship was cordial, and she was a supportive family figure and respected matriarch. She also played a key role in shaping the Tata Group’s retail businesses.
Ratan Tata’s biological mother was Sooni Tata, the niece of Tata Group founder Jamsetji Tata. After separating from Sooni, Naval Tata married Simone Tata, who became Ratan’s stepmother.
Simone Tata turned Lakmé into India’s leading cosmetics brand and also launched Westside, establishing herself as one of the most influential women in Indian business.
Simone Tata, while famous for her business acumen was also a dedicated social contributor, guiding philanthropic organizations like the Sir Ratan Tata Institute (SRTI), supporting arts via India Foundation for the Arts (IFA), and serving as a trustee for children's welfare with Children of the World India (CWI), aligning with the Tata Trusts' focus on education, rural upliftment, and disadvantaged communities.
