At a meeting of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the board unanimously approved the induction of Bhaskar Bhat, a group veteran, and Neville Tata, the son of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, as trustees for a period of three years, effective 12th November, the Trust said on Tuesday. Additionally, the board appointed TVS chairman emeritus Venu Srinivisan as a trustee and vice chairman for a period of three years.

The Tata Trusts board convened for the first time since it removed Mehli Mistry from the boards of the key trusts, including the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. According to reports, Venu Srinivisan’s term was reduced from a lifetime trustee in accordance with a new rule of the Maharashtra government that limits the number of lifetime trustees. Neville Tata currently serves on the board of Star Bazaar, the supermarket chain of the Tata group. 

In a significant turning point in Tata Trusts’ dispute, the reverberations of which reached the political corridors in New Delhi, Mehli Mistry—a long-time confidant of Ratan Tata and key voice of dissent within the Trusts—opted to part ways after his reappointment as a permanent trustee was blocked by the team led by Trusts chairman Noel Tata. The move not only quelled internal opposition but also placed the complete responsibility for the Trusts’ future direction squarely on Noel Tata’s shoulders.

In a letter to Noel Tata, Mistry wrote with a mix of restraint, “My commitment to Ratan Tata’s vision includes a responsibility to ensure that the Tata Trusts are not plunged into controversy.” He ended with a subtle reminder, quoting Ratan Tata himself: “Nobody is bigger than the institution it serves.” Mistry also wrote, “Precipitating matters would cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the Tata Trusts.”

Among the seven trustees of the two key boards—chairman Noel Tata, vice chairman Venu Srinivasan, and Vijay Singh—voted against Mistry’s renewal on the boards of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. These two philanthropic powerhouses together hold about 66% of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata conglomerate. The remaining trustees—Pramit Jhaveri, Darius Khambata, and Jehangir HC Jehangir—were understood to have supported Mistry’s stance and opposed Noel Tata’s recent decisions.