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Simon Tata

Simone Tata, the country's renowned businesswoman and co-founder of Lakme Cosmetics, is no longer with us. He died at the age of 95 in Breach Candy Hospital, Mumbai. Simone is the mother of Tata Trust Chairman Noel Tata and stepmother of Ratan Tata. His health was not good for some time and he was also undergoing treatment at Kings Hospital in Dubai.

After the death of Simon Tata, Tata Group issued an official statement saying that he will be given a final farewell at the Cathedral of the Holy Name Church in Colaba. Recalling his achievements, the group said that he not only made Lakme an iconic beauty brand of the country, but also gave a new direction to the Indian retail sector by starting Westside. His family includes son Noel Tata, daughter-in-law Aloo Mistry, and their children Neville, Maya and Leah.

Businesswoman who created a business worth Rs 1 lakh crore

At that time, Simone Tata, who came to India after completing her studies from Geneva University, probably had no idea that she would later become a big name in Indian business history and would create a business empire whose value would be Rs 1 lakh crore. Actually, Simone Tata was born in Switzerland and her relationship with India started in the 1950s, when she came here for the first time. She met industrialist Naval H. Tata and both of them got married in 1955. After this he made Mumbai his home.

The woman who took Lakme from zero to the top

In the early 1960s, Simon Tata joined the board of Lakme. At that time Lakme was a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills, but his wisdom and business vision took it to new heights. In 1961, she was made the managing director and in 1982 she became the chairperson. Under his leadership, Lakme became the favorite cosmetic brand of Indian women and later started making its mark at the global level as well.

Westside debut

In 1996, when Lakme was sold to Hindustan Lever Limited (now HUL), the Tata Group started a new company named Trent with the funds. Under this trend, Westside was started, which is today one of the most trusted fashion retail brands in India. This was his visionary step in the world of retail which gave a new direction to the business portfolio of Tata Group.

Along with business, we are also ahead in social service.

Simone Tata was very active not only in business but also in social service. She was the chairperson of Sir Ratan Tata Institute and was associated with many social organizations including Children of the World India (CWI). In addition, she was also a trustee of the India Foundation for the Arts, where she made significant contributions in the field of arts and education.