Corporate Grapevine     

Published: September 15, 2025
Updated: September 15, 2025

Tata trustees in tug-of-war

A recent meeting of the Dorabji Tata Trust has exposed fresh tensions within the Tata trusts, pitting chairman Noel Tata against trustee Mehli Mistry. Mistry, a close confidant of former chairman Ratan Tata, moved a resolution seeking the removal of Vijay Singh as the trusts’ representative on the Tata Sons board. The proposal, backed by trustees Darius Khambata and Pramit Jhaveri, was passed with three votes in favour and two against, with Singh recusing himself.

Mistry also sought his own induction onto the Tata Sons board, but that resolution was defeated after Noel Tata, Singh and Venu Srinivasan voted against it. The unexpected support of Khambata and Jhaveri for Mistry —who does not command broad backing within the Tata group — has raised questions about the shifting power equations inside the trusts. Mistry has threatened to expose other trustees, which has muddied the waters further.

The Dorabji Tata Trust, along with other Tata trusts, holds a controlling 66% stake in Tata Sons, the $ 150 billion conglomerate’s holding company. The trusts are entitled to nominate one-third of the trustees to Tata Sons’ board, and Vijay Singh’s exit leaves one vacant seat yet to be filled.