RK Krishnakumar, former Tata Sons director, passed away at 84. The Tata Group veteran succumbed to a cardiac arrest on January 1
Krishnakumar, fondly known as KK in the Tata Group, felt uncomfortable after taking a shower and died shortly, even before his doctor could reach his home
A Padma Shree awardee, Krishnakumar is survived by his wife, Ratna, son Ajit and grandson Arya. His son Ajit Krishnakumar is the COO of Tata Consumer Products
Krishnakumar joined Tata Administrative Services in 1963. In 1965, he got associated with Tata Global Beverages, then known as Tata Finlay. KK was instrumental in rebranding the company into Tata Tea. He rose to the rank of Vice President of South India Plantations in 1982
Krishnakumar was promoted as the joint managing director of Tata Tea in 1988. He was the sole managing director for the company from 1991 and stayed at the post till 1997
Krishnakumar was moved as the head of the division to Indian Hotels Company, the hospitality division of Tata Group, which includes Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces in 1997. He was appointed as a member of the Board of Directors at Tata Sons in 2002
Tata Tea formed a joint venture with Tetley, UK in 1992, under Krishnakumar’s leadership. The group acquired the British company on a £271 million buy-out deal to become the second largest tea business in the world, reportedly the largest overseas take-over by an Indian firm till that time
KK became a part of Ratan Tata’s inner circle during the Assam crisis in 1997, when some Tata Consumer employees were held hostage by militant group ULFA
Krishnakumar retired from the Board of Directors of Tata Sons in 2013 at the age of 75. However, he continued to be a trustee of Tata Trusts, the controlling shareholder of Tata Sons
Produced by: Anshula Raj
Designed by: Mohsin