Truce likely in Tata Trusts board meeting today?

The Tata Trusts board is expected to adopt a conciliatory tone at its meeting today following days of internal discord. Sources indicate that the two opposing factions — one led by Noel Tata and the other by Mehli Mistry — are likely to soften their stance and focus on building consensus over ongoing matters. The board is likely to discuss quarterly investment plans of the Trusts and the agenda for the upcoming Tata Sons board meeting.

The development follows the government’s intervention in the dispute among trustees. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are said to have communicated separately with Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, trustee Darius Khambata, and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran, stressing the importance of maintaining stability and confidence in the Tata Group — a key pillar of Indian industry.

The trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the two principal arms that together hold a 66% stake in Tata Sons, will meet today at the Trusts’ headquarters in the World Trade Centre, Cuffe Parade. Noel Tata chairs both trusts, with Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, Mehli Mistry, and Darius Khambata serving as common trustees. Sir Ratan Tata Trust also includes Jimmy Tata (Ratan Tata’s brother) and Jehangir H.C. Jehangir, while the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust has former Citibank India CEO Pramit Jhaveri as an additional trustee.

The current rift began when the Trusts’ board rejected the reappointment of Vijay Singh as the Tata Sons board nominee. Trustees Mehli Mistry, Darius Khambata, Jehangir, and Jhaveri opposed Singh’s reappointment and instead proposed Mistry’s name for the post. However, Noel Tata and Venu Srinivasan declined, arguing that it was “not the ethical way Tata operates.” The disagreement reportedly escalated into a heated exchange before the issue went to a vote.

On Tuesday, Noel Tata and N Chandrasekaran met the two Union Ministers to brief them on the internal turmoil. The government, concerned about the potential fallout, reportedly warned that continued infighting could undermine investor confidence and damage the Tata Group’s global reputation.

According to sources, the Trusts’ board is likely to continue divided between Noel’s group and the dissenting faction led by Mehli Mistry — cousin of the late Cyrus Mistry. Darius Khambata is believed to have conveyed the dissenting group’s position to the ministers.

The Shapoorji Pallonji family holds an 18.37% stake in Tata Sons.