Somerville College, University of Oxford, has honoured Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, with its prestigious Foundation Fellowship, the highest recognition the College bestows for philanthropy.
Popularly known as “Chandra,” he was elected to the Fellowship by outgoing Principal Baroness Jan Royall and the Governing Body of Somerville College in summer 2025. The formal conferral took place on September 23 in the presence of Oxford Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey, India’s High Commissioner to the UK HE Vikram Doraiswami, UK Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Business and Investment Varun Chandra, and senior representatives of the Tata Group and Oxford University.
The honour recognises Chandrasekaran’s pivotal role in enabling the creation of the College’s new flagship teaching and learning hub, the Ratan Tata Building. The facility will serve as the permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD), which has been leading research on sustainability and development challenges since 2013.
Catherine Royle, Principal of Somerville College, praised Chandrasekaran as “a shining testament to the power of meritocracy and intellect”, adding that the Fellowship reflects the College’s gratitude for the Tata Group’s longstanding support and partnership.
Accepting the honour, Chandrasekaran said, “This rare institution has been quietly blazing a trail on behalf of the most pressing social causes for almost 150 years. Their work chimes powerfully with the values of our business and its shining light, Mr Ratan Tata. I am confident that the Oxford–India bridge through the OICSD will only strengthen in years to come, helping us tackle major environmental and social questions.”
Chandrasekaran, an alumnus of the Coimbatore Institute of Technology and the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, has risen through the ranks of the Tata Group over three decades — from leading Tata Consultancy Services to heading multiple group companies before taking over as Chairman of Tata Sons in 2017.
The Foundation Fellowship cements a lifelong bond between Chandrasekaran and Somerville College, reflecting both personal achievement and the Tata Group’s enduring legacy in advancing education and sustainable development in India and beyond.
