Simone Tata, the business leader who transformed Lakmé into one of India’s most recognisable beauty brands and later laid the foundation for retail major Trent Ltd, died early Friday at the age of 95.
The mother of Noel Tata and stepmother of former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, she had been recovering from an illness and was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital in August after initial treatment at King’s Hospital in Dubai.
She is survived by her son Noel Tata, daughter-in-law Aloo Mistry, and grandchildren Neville, Maya and Leah.
From Geneva to Bombay, and into the Tata fold
Born Simone Naval Dunoyer in Geneva, Switzerland, she first came to India as a tourist in 1953. Two years later, in 1955, she married Naval H. Tata and soon after began her professional association with the Tata Group in the early 1960s.
Her formal engagement with the group started in 1961, when she joined the board of Lakmé, then a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills Company (TOMCO), which was known for personal care brands such as Hamam, Okay and Modi Soaps.
Building Lakmé into India’s homegrown beauty brand
At Lakmé, Simone Tata pushed for a clear vision: to create India-specific cosmetics for Indian women at a time when the domestic beauty market was dominated by foreign brands or largely underserved.
Under her leadership, Lakmé evolved from a modest subsidiary into a widely recognised Indian cosmetics brand. She was appointed chairperson in 1982 and came to be known as the 'Cosmetic Czarina of India' for popularising beauty products among Indian women and shaping one of the country’s first modern consumer brands.
HUL deal and the pivot to Trent
In the post-liberalisation era, Lakmé Ltd and Hindustan Unilever entered a 50:50 joint venture, Lakmé Unilever Ltd, in 1996 to market Lakmé’s cosmetics alongside select products from HUL’s portfolio.
Two years later, in 1998, Lakmé sold its brands to HUL and exited the venture, divesting its 50 percent stake for about Rs 200 crore.
Following the sale, the company pivoted from cosmetics to apparel retail, identifying a gap for strong homegrown fashion and lifestyle brands. This strategic shift laid the foundation for Trent Ltd, which today operates retail formats such as Westside and Zudio.
As part of this transition, Lakmé acquired Littlewoods International (India) from UK-based Littlewoods International Limited in March 1998. Littlewoods International India Private Ltd was engaged in the retailing of ready-to-wear garments and related merchandise.
Subsequently, Trent Ltd was merged with Lakmé, and Lakmé Limited was officially renamed Trent Ltd, cementing Simone Tata’s role not just in shaping India’s beauty market, but also in building one of its most influential modern retail companies.
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