Months after Ratan Tata’s death, Noel Tata to move into Colaba house? Here’s what we know

Who will own the property, Who will be the caretaker, who will make it as his home? Will Halekai suffer the same fate as JRD Tata's bungalow, The Cairn, or will his younger half-brother and Tata Trusts chairman, Noel Tata, choose to make it his new home?

The late Ratan Tata is back in news with the announcement of his will. However, now the news is about his sea-facing bungalow in Colaba where he lived in his later years, the Halekai. Who will own the property, Who will be the caretaker, who will make it as his home? Will Halekai suffer the same fate as JRD Tata’s bungalow, The Cairn, or will his younger half-brother and Tata Trusts chairman, Noel Tata, choose to make it his new home?

After retiring from Tata Sons in 2012, the late Ratan Tata made Halekai his home. Halekai is a four-storey, 13,350 sq ft property, owned by Ewart Investments, a 100% subsidiary of Tata Sons, and was provided to Ratan Tata. According to various reports, there are indications that Noel and his family may consider moving from Windmere in Cuffe Parade to the more spacious Halekai —even if not in the immediate future.

With the chhamsi prayer ceremony – which according to Zoroastrain culture is performed six months after a person’s death – concluding on Sunday, Noel, who was in Dubai for the annual Tata Group leadership conclave during the weekend, may be open to exploring the option of a shift, sources said.

Noel, his wife Aloo Mistry, and their family have been residing in Windmere, a six-storey building in Cuffe Parade, for a considerable period. It was inherited by Aloo and her sister Laila Jehangir from their father Pallonji Mistry, the former chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji Group.

What happened to The Cairn?

The Cairn on Altamount Road, where JRD Tata lived (the two-storey Scottish-style house was purchased by Tata Sons for Rs 50 crore), and the beach-facing bungalow in Juhu (near JW Marriott Hotel) owned by Naval Tata, who was deputy chairman and father of Noel and Ratan Tata, remain unoccupied. Both properties have from time to time been occupied by top Tata Group executives and friends of the Tata family, sources said.