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Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata's mother Simone Tata passes away at 95
According to a statement from the Tata Group, the last respects to Simone Tata, the ‘Czarina’ of Lakmé, will be given on Saturday morning.
Simone Tata, the mother of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata and the stepmother of late Ratan Tata, passed away on Friday morning at Mumbai's Breach Candy hospital after a brief illness. She was 95.
According to a statement from the Tata Group, the last respects for the founder of Lakmé will be held on Saturday morning at the Cathedral of the Holy Name Church, Colaba.
“She will always be remembered for her contribution to the growth of Lakmé as India’s leading cosmetic brand and for laying the foundation for fashion retail with the Westside chain. She also guided the work of many philanthropic organisations, including the Sir Ratan Tata Institute,” a Tata Group spokesperson said in a statement.
“With her positivity and deep resolve, she overcame many challenges in her life while touching many of us deeply. May her soul rest in peace, and God give us the strength to overcome this loss,” the statement added.
She is survived by her son, Noel Tata; daughter-in-law, Aloo Mistry; and grandchildren, Neville, Maya, and Leah.
Who was Simone Tata?
Born Simone Naval Dunoyer in Geneva, Switzerland, she first came to India as a tourist in 1953. Simone married Naval H. Tata two years later and began her professional association with the Tata Group in the early 1960s, soon after her marriage.
Simone Tata joined the board of Lakmé in 1961, then a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO), which was known for its personal care brands, including Hamam, Okay, and Modi Soaps. Her push for a clear vision made the brand the behemoth that it is today.
She was appointed Lakmé chairperson in 1982 and came to be known as the 'Cosmetic Czarina of India' for popularising beauty products among Indian women and shaping one of the country’s first modern consumer brands.
