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Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata and two other powerful trustees considered close to him blocked the reappointment of late Ratan Tata’s close associate and businessman Mehli Mistry as trustee, deepening the rift at the philanthropic arm that controls the holding company of Tata Group, people familiar with the matter said.
Noel Tata was appointed head of Tata Trusts following the death of Tata Group patriarch Ratan Tata last year.
TVS Motor Co’s chairman emeritus Venu Srinivasan and former defence secretary Vijay Singh voted against Mistry’s reappointment as trustee after the end of his three-year tenure on Tuesday, they said.
The three other trustees — former Citibank India CEO Pramit Jhaveri, Mumbai lawyer Darius Khambata, and Pune-based philanthropist Jehangir HC Jehangir — who are considered close to Mr. Mistry, supported his reappointment, they said.
The unprecedented vertical split marks a sharp departure from the recent consensus-driven approach.
Mr. Noel Tata and Mr. Mehli Mistry are two power centres in the Tata Trusts, which control a majority stake in the holding company of the Tata Group. Differences between the two groups came to the fore in September, when Mr. Mistry and three other trustees — Mr. Jhaveri, Mr. Khambata and Mr. Jehangir — voted to remove Mr. Singh as Tata Trusts’ representative on the board of Tata Sons — the holding company of the salt-to-software conglomerate.
However, last week, Mr. Srinivasan was made a lifelong trustee in a unanimous decision.
While Mr. Mistry had remained tight-lipped about his next move, it is likely he will challenge it in court.
When contacted, Tata Trusts declined to comment.
Tata Trusts, the umbrella body overseeing several charitable trusts including the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, holds a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons – the holding company of the 156-year-old Tata Group, which comprises around 400 companies, including 30 listed entities.
Published – October 28, 2025 03:17 pm IST
