Noel Tata retires as Voltas chairman; who is Sunil D'Souza, his successor?

New Delhi: Noel N Tata, Chairman of Tata Trusts, will step down as Chairman and Director of Voltas Ltd on November 11, 2026, with the company appointing him as Chairman Emeritus from the following day. The board has named Tata Consumer Products Managing Director and CEO Sunil D'Souza as his successor.

The leadership changes were announced following a Voltas board meeting on November 6. Noel Tata is retiring upon attaining the age of superannuation under Tata Group governance guidelines.

Following his retirement, "the Board has appointed him as Chairman Emeritus of the Company with effect from November 12, 2026," Voltas, a Tata Group firm, said in a regulatory filing.

Noel Tata, born on November 12, 1956, will turn 70 on November 12, 2026. He has been associated with Voltas since 2003.

Additionally, the board has appointed Sunil Alaric D'Souza as the new Chairman of Voltas with effect from November 12, 2026.
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Who is Sunil D'Souza?

D'Souza currently heads Tata Consumer Products Ltd (TCPL), the Tata Group's FMCG arm, as its Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. The company sells a wide range of consumer products, including salt, tea, coffee, packaged foods and beverages under brands such as Tata Salt, Tata Tea, Tetley and Tata Sampann.

He took over as MD and CEO of Tata Consumer Products in April 2020. Before joining the company, he led Whirlpool India for nearly five years, overseeing its operations in India and neighbouring markets.

D'Souza spent close to 15 years at PepsiCo before his stint at Whirlpool. During this period, he held commercial and general management positions in India and several Asian markets, including the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Indonesia.

He began his career at Hindustan Unilever in 1993, working in sales, after starting out as a service engineer at Siemens.

D'Souza holds a bachelor's degree in Electronics and Communications Engineering from the University of Madras and a postgraduate management diploma from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Calcutta.

His professional experience spans consumer goods, sales, business expansion and leadership roles across international markets. He will continue as Managing Director and CEO of Tata Consumer Products while taking over as Voltas chairman.
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Voltas announces separate succession plan for MD's post

Meanwhile, the tenure of Voltas Managing Director C P Mukundan Menon will end on May 24, 2027, when he will retire from the company's services in line with the Tata Group's retirement policy for executive directors.

The board has approved the appointment of Jayant Balan, currently Head of the Room Air Conditioner Business, as an Additional Director and Managing Director for a five-year term beginning May 25, 2027, subject to shareholders' approval.

"As part of a planned succession process, the Board, based on the recommendation of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee, has approved the appointment of Jayant Balan, currently Head - Room Air Conditioner Business, as an Additional Director and Managing Director of the Company for a term of five years commencing from May 25, 2027," Voltas said.

To ensure a smooth transition, Balan has been redesignated as Head – Room Air Conditioner Business and Managing Director Designate until his appointment takes effect.

The board has also approved the appointment of Venkatesalu Palaniswamy as an Additional Director in the non-independent, non-executive category with effect from November 12, 2026.