A major rift appears to be deepening within the Tata Trusts — the charitable body that owns about 66% of Tata Sons — after trustees Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, and Vijay Singh reportedly voted against extending Mehli Mistry’s term. Mistry, who recently backed Srinivasan’s appointment as a life trustee, may have expected similar support but now faces removal from the board and is said to be considering legal action.
A resolution passed last year allowed trustees to hold their positions for life, stating that any outgoing trustee would be reappointed without tenure limits, as permitted by law. However, sources told PTI that renewals traditionally require unanimous approval, and lifetime extensions demand full consent from all trustees — a condition Mistry reportedly failed to secure.
If upheld, Mistry’s ouster could intensify divisions within Tata Trusts, potentially affecting the governance of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, whose listed firms have a combined market value of around ₹25 lakh crore. The feud reportedly stems from growing tensions over Noel Tata’s leadership following Ratan Tata’s passing last year.
