The successor to the charismatic Ratan Tata to head the $71-billion Tata conglomerate would be in place by February-March next year.
The names of members of the panel, which will select the successor, will be announced tomorrow. Speculation is rife that Tata Sons Director R K Krishna Kumar and Tata Sons Vice-Chairman Noshir Soonawala would be on the panel.
However, it could not be ascertained from the Tata Group spokesperson if Ratan Tata would be a part of the selection committee.
"We are working on this and will finalise something on this (selection of a successor) by February-March next. We will announce the name by then," R K Krishna Kumar told reporters here on the sidelines of the AGM of the group's hospitality arm Indian Hotels, that owns the Taj brand of luxury hotels and resorts here today.
Tata, 72, would be hanging his boots in December 2012 when he would turn 75--the retirement age fixed by the group.
Disclosing that the names of the members of the selection committee would be revealed tomorrow, Kumar said the successor would be selected much ahead of Ratan Tata's retirement to ensure a smooth transition.
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Ratan Tata, who was present at the AGM, said, "We will be working rigorously for the next 6-7 months on this (selection of a successor)."
Earlier this year, Ratan Tata had said, "I said that after (launching the small-car) Nano, it will be a good time to step down. I still have a deadline for my retirement.
"I do have the responsibility to have a successor and both these things will take place."
Set to retire by end-2012, when he turns 75, Tata is responsible for turning the group global after he took over as Chairman of the $71-billion conglomerate in 1991 from JRD Tata.
Although the group is more than a century-old -- founded by Jamsetji Tata in 1868 when he set up a private trading firm --it was only in 2006 that it earned major global recognition when Ratan Tata spearheaded the buyout of Anglo-Dutch steel maker Corus for about $12 billion.
Tata followed this up with another big ticket purchase of the iconic British luxury car marques Jaguar Land Rover, from Ford in 2008 for $2.3 billion.
Tata Sons, the holding company of the salt-to-software group, on Wednesday said its nine-member board had formed a selection committee comprising five members, including an external member, to decide on the successor.
The move came within days of elevation of Noel Tata, Ratan Tata's half-brother, as head of the Tata Group's international operations, lending credence to speculation that he would be anointed the successor.
The Tata Group has over 90 companies, of which 28 are publicly traded firms, including the country's largest software exporter TCS, the largest automaker Tata Motors and Tata Steel, which is the world's fifth-largest steel maker.