365telugu.com online news,Oxford, 26th September 2025: Somerville College, University of Oxford, has announced the election of Mr Natarajan Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, as a Foundation Fellow—the highest honour conferred by the College for philanthropy.
The fellowship was conferred during a ceremony on 23rd September 2025, attended by Professor Irene Tracey, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; HE Vikram Doraiswami, High Commissioner of India; Mr Varun Chandra, UK Prime Minister’s Special Adviser on Business and Investment; along with distinguished colleagues from the Tata Group and Oxford. Outgoing Principal Baroness Jan Royall and the College’s Governing Body elected Mr Chandrasekaran to the Fellowship in recognition of his extraordinary contributions.
The award acknowledges Mr Chandrasekaran’s instrumental role in enabling the creation of Somerville College’s new flagship teaching and learning hub, the Ratan Tata Building, named after his mentor, philanthropist Mr Ratan Tata. The building will serve as a permanent home for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development (OICSD), which has been conducting cutting-edge research on sustainability and development issues affecting India and the world since 2013.
Speaking on the occasion, Catherine Royle, Principal of Somerville College, said:
“Chairman Chandrasekaran exemplifies the power of meritocracy and the extraordinary outcomes that intellect and hard work can achieve. This fellowship recognises his invaluable contribution to the partnership between Somerville College, the OICSD, and the Tata Group.”
Mr Chandrasekaran commented:
“Somerville College has been quietly leading efforts on critical social causes for nearly 150 years. Its values align closely with those of the Tata Group and the inspiring Mr Ratan Tata. I am confident that the interdisciplinary environment at Somerville, together with the enduring bridge created by the OICSD, will strengthen this partnership and help address pressing environmental and social challenges globally.”
About Natarajan Chandrasekaran:
Mr Chandrasekaran holds a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Sciences from the Coimbatore Institute of Technology, Tamil Nadu, and a Master of Computer Applications (MCA) from the National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli. He began his career with the Tata Group, rising to become Chairman of Tata Consultancy Services, and later Chairman of Tata Sons, India’s largest business conglomerate.
The Foundation Fellowship represents a lifelong bond between Mr Chandrasekaran and Somerville College, highlighting the College’s gratitude for his transformative support and long-standing friendship.