India, Dec. 6 -- Simone Tata, 95, mother of Noel Tata and stepmother of former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata, passed away early Friday. Tata had been recovering from an illness and was brought to Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital earlier this August after receiving initial treatment at King's Hospital in Dubai. Tata is survived by her son Noel, his wife Aloo Mistry, and grandchildren Neville, Maya and Leah. With her positivity and deep resolve she overcame many challenges in her life. Tata leaves behind a strong legacy as a business leader, having guided Lakme through its formative decades before its eventual sale to Hindustan Unilever in the 1990s. "She will always be remembered for her contribution to the growth of Lakme as India's leading cosmetic brand and laying the foundation for fashion retail with the Westside chain. She also guided the work of many philanthropic organisations, including Sir Ratan Tata Institute," said a statement from the Tata Group. Born Simone Naval Dunoyer in Geneva, Switzerland, she arrived in India as a tourist in 1953. Two years later, in 1955, she married Naval H. Tata and subsequently began her professional association with the Tata Group in the early 1960s. Her engagement with the group formally began in 1961 when she joined the board of Lakme. At the time, Lakme was a small subsidiary of Tata Oil Mills Company, known for personal care brands such as Hamam, Okay and Modi Soaps. It was Simone who pushed and championed the brand's vision to meet the Indian woman's need for homegrown, India-specific cosmetics. Under her, Lakme grew into a widely recognised Indian brand, and she was appointed chairperson in 1982. She is often referred to as the "Cosmetic Czarina of India" for her role in popularizing cosmetics among Indian women. In the post-liberalization period, Lakme Ltd and Hindustan Unilever formed a 50:50 joint venture-Lakme Unilever Ltd-in 1996 to market Lakme's cosmetics along with select products from HUL's portfolio. By 1998, Lakme sold its brands to HUL and exited the joint venture, divesting its 50% stake for Rs.200 crore. Following this transition, Lakme shifted its focus from cosmetics to apparel retailing, identifying a gap in the market for homegrown brands. This laid the foundation for Trent Ltd, which now operates retail formats such as Westside and Zudio. As part of the move, Lakme acquired Littlewoods International (India) from Littlewoods International Ltd, UK in March 1998....