Aiming to find a successor to Mr Ratan Tata by March 2011, TATA Group named five members of a search panel that includes Mr N A Soonawala vice chairman of TATA Sons.

The panel includes two other senior group directors Mr R K Krishnakumar and Mr Cyrus Mistry and group adviser and lawyer Mr Shirin Bharucha and influential British businessman Lord Bhattacharya.

TATAs had announced on August 4 that a search panel would be set up to find the next leader for the USD 71 billion group, whose incumbent chairman would retire at the age of 75 in December 2012.

A group statement said that "The panel will look at suitable candidates from within the group and professionals from India and overseas to find a replacement for Mr Ratan Tata, who retires at the end of 2012.”

(Sourced from Indian Express)