Tata Trusts pushback board meet amid legal tussle

Mumbai: Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), together holding a majority stake in Tata Sons, have postponed key board meetings scheduled for Friday to May 16 amid legal challenges.

The trusts were expected to review their representation on the Tata Sons board, including reassessing certain nominee directors, and flag remarks by two vice-chairmen that were seen as favouring listing of Tata Sons, people familiar with the matter said.

This is the second rescheduling of the board meetings, originally planned for May 12 and later advanced to May 8.


Tata Trusts did not respond to ET’s queries.

Some trustees had already joined Friday’s meeting before being informed of the cancellation at the last minute, people cited above said.

The trusts were to discuss recent statements by vice-chairmen Vijay Singh and Venu Srinivasan where they explored the merits of Tata Sons’ listing, and review alignment between the trusts’ position and that of their nominees.

At the heart of the discord is a long-simmering debate over whether Tata Sons should remain privately held or pursue a public listing. A majority of the trustees including chairman Noel Tata favour retaining the group’s closely held structure, people familiar with the matter said.

The decision to formally examine board representation suggests the trusts are seeking to reinforce internal cohesion and ensure their nominees reflect the dominant institutional stance.

Singh’s role as a Tata Sons board member was not renewed last year.

Any move to replace Srinivasan would be closely watched, given his standing in corporate India and his role in Tata Trusts’ leadership.

The Tata Sons articles provide for removal and appointment of nominee directors. This requires the support of SDTT and SRTT.

The trusts were also set to discuss a complaint to the Maharashtra charity commissioner on the matter of perpetual trustees by advocate Katyayani Agrawal of SV & Co, arguing the Tata Trusts have breached statutory limits introduced by the state last year. Tata Trusts continues to firmly back Tata Sons’ status as an unlisted entity, with the majority of trustees supporting the existing resolution despite a few dissenting voices, people cited above said.

The divergence of views remains limited and has not translated into any formal move to revisit the decision.