Tata chairman’s shock exit move puts JLR owner's bets on chips, iPhones and Air India at risk

N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, is seen at the Tata group headquarters in Mumbai, India, on August 13, 2026, a day after announcing his resignation from the post. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty ImagesThe future of India's first semiconductor plant and the country's ambition to replace China as a major supplier to Apple face growing uncertainty after Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said he would no longer seek another term. Tata Group has made some of the "largest capital commitments" under Chandrasekaran's leadership, which in the latest letter to shareholders he described as the building blocks for India's road to becoming a developed country by 2047. Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata Group, also acquired beleaguered national carrier Air India in 2022, started iPhone production after buying Wistron and Pegatron, reportedly overtaking Taiwanese company Foxconn's India unit to become the country's largest Apple supplier.In 2024, it unveiled plans to set up India's first semiconductor plant worth $11 billion in partnership with Taiwan's Powerchip Semiconductor Manufacturing Corp.All these initiatives by the slat-to-steel conglomerate that also owns luxury automaker J...