Tata Trusts Infighting Over Board Seats: What Happened And Why

What is the fight about? In one sentence, board appointments and governance issues. In more, Tata Trusts has reportedly split vertically; one member of the board has aligned with Noel Tata, Ratan Tata's half-brother, and the rest with Mehli Mistry, Cyrus Mistry's cousin, and who has ties to the Shapoorji Pallonji family that owns about 18.37 per cent of Tata Sons. The division emerged at a September 11 board meeting to consider the reappointment of 77-year-old former Defence Secretary Vijay Singh as a nominee-director to the Tata Sons board. The sticking point? After Ratan Tata died in October 2024, Tata Trusts introduced a policy requiring annual reappointment of Tata Sons nominee-directors once they turn 75.