Bahram Vakil to Succeed Noel Tata as Trent Chairman

Trent Ltd’s board appointed Bahram Vakil as chairman, effective 12 November 2026, succeeding Noel N. Tata. Noel Tata will step down as chairman and director on 11 November, after nearly 29 years with the Tata Group retailer, and become chairman emeritus the following day. The board approved the succession at its meeting on 29 October.

Board changes and quarterly results

The transition is in line with the Tata Group Governance Guidelines on board composition and director retirement. Vakil co-founded AZB & Partners, a law firm specialising in restructuring, bankruptcy, infrastructure and project finance.

Trent appointed Rajiv Dube as an additional non-executive, non-independent director from 30 October, subject to shareholder approval. Kalpana Merchant was appointed an additional independent director for a three-year term from the same date, also subject to shareholder approval.

For the September quarter of FY2027, Trent reported consolidated net profit of ₹468 crore, up 25% year on year. Revenue rose 22% to ₹5,873 crore.

Important Facts for Exams

• Formation capital: Trent was created using proceeds from the Tatas’ 1998 sale of their 50% Lakmé Cosmetics stake to Hindustan Lever for ₹200 crore.
• First Westside store: Trent began operations by acquiring Littlewoods’ only Bangalore store and renaming it Westside.
• Zara joint venture: Trent and Inditex established a 49:51 joint venture for Zara in India, then entered a similar agreement for Massimo Dutti.