Simone Tata

Who is Simone Tata?

Simone Tata, née Dunoyer, currently the chairperson of the Trent Limited, is an Indian businesswoman. French by birth and educated in Switzerland, she moved to India in 1955, and joined Lakmé, small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills, as managing director in 1961, rising to become its chairperson in 1982. Lakmé became one of the leading cosmetic companies of India. As its chairperson, she was referred in the Indian media as the "Cosmetic Czarina of India".

She was appointed to the board of Tata Industries in 1989.

Seeing growth in the retail sector, in 1996 Tata sold Lakmé to Hindustan Lever Limited, and created Trent from the money it made through the sale. All shareholders of Lakmé were given equivalent shares in Trent. The Westside brand and stores belong to Trent.

Tata was the wife of the late Naval Tata and is the stepmother of the former Tata group chairman, Ratan Tata, and mother of Noel Tata.