Tata's move to plug hole at top could spring a leak in earnings

Mumbai

MOVING the head of Tata Consultancy Services to the top job at Tata Sons' holding company fills a critical hole for the salt-to-software conglomerate, but it leaves another at its most valuable company ahead of a complex and unpredictable 2017.

The promotion of Tata veteran Natarajan Chandrasekaran - the well-regarded, high-performing boss of TCS under whom shares have quadrupled - should be no surprise.

But the departure of Chandrasekaran, known as Chandra, from the group's most profitable arm still rattled investors. They sent TCS shares down more …