Corporate Grapevine     

Published: September 30, 2025
Updated: September 30, 2025

Mehli muddies Tata waters

Mehli Mistry’s influence within Tata Trusts is being viewed by many in the Tata group as a destabilising development. A long-time associate of the Mistry family and cousin of the late Tata group chairman Cyrus Mistry, Mehli’s presence on the board of Tata Trusts — the controlling shareholder of Tata Sons — has revived old tensions between the Tata and Mistry camps. This time Mehli, who lost his influence after Ratan Tata’s death, is taking on Noel Tata.

Insiders say Mehli is leading the coup bid against Noel Tata and is frequently challenging decisions backed by Noel Tata and other senior figures close to the Tata family. His reported role in the move to remove former Defence Secretary Vijay Singh from the Tata Sons board — a decision that blindsided those loyal to Noel Tata — underscored his growing assertiveness and willingness to confront the established leadership.

For a group built on consensus and continuity, Mehli Mistry’s confrontational stance and fight with the SP group, which has an 18.4% stake in Tata Sons, raise questions about why Ratan Tata put him in that position. With key trustee terms up for renewal and debates intensifying over Tata Sons’ possible listing, his continued influence could deepen divisions within the Trusts and complicate efforts to preserve the Tata group’s tradition of unified governance.

BATTLE LINES

Noel Tata, TVS group chairman Venu Srinivasan and N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, have joined hands to keep Mehli Mistry and Pramit Jhaveri out of the Tata Sons board.

While Noel and Srinivasan do not want Mistry on the Tata Sons board, citing his inexperience and rough behaviour, Chandra wants a free run at Tata Sons. Insiders say both Mistry and Jhaveri can question the decisions of the Tata group chairman, who has blanket power to run the company as per his plans.