The deferral of Natarajan Chandrasekaran's re-appointment as Chairman of Tata Sons has sparked questions regarding a previous unanimous resolution by Tata Trusts and potential internal disagreements.
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.
Tata Trusts has unanimously reappointed Venu Srinivasan as a trustee for life, and all eyes are now on the upcoming decision regarding Mehli Mistry's renewal, amid reported internal divisions within the organisation. The reappointment of Srinivasan this week, ahead of his term expiring on October 23, comes amid reports of a vertical split within Tata Trusts - with one faction said to align with Noel Tata, who took over as chairman following Ratan Tata's death, and the other comprising those seen as loyalists of the former doyen.
As the business head of Trent Hypermarket, Neville ensures that customers receive high-quality products that adhere to Tata standards.
Bringing an end to the speculation around Mehli Mistry's trusteeship in the Tata Trusts, the former trustee has officially parted ways with the Tata group, ANI has learned from sources close to Mistry.
Seven listed Tata companies together own 12.1 per cent in Tata Sons with a combined book value worth around Rs 30,700 crore.
A quiet but consequential power struggle has erupted within the storied 156-year-old Tata Trusts just a year after the death of group patriarch Ratan Tata on October 9, 2024.
The Tata Trusts, led by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, hold a 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the Tata group's holding company.
The Delhi High Court has ordered a journalist not to host an award event using the name "Ratan Tata National Icon Award" or the trademarks "Tata" and "Tata Trusts". The court found that Ratan Tata's name and the Tata trademarks are protected and that the journalist's use of them was unauthorized. The case was filed by Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Tata Sons Pvt Ltd, who alleged that the journalist's actions caused harm to their reputation and goodwill. The court also ordered the journalist to stop using the logo and pictures related to Ratan Tata and Tata Trusts.
Noel Tata's children - Leah, Neville, and Maya - have been appointed to the boards of five philanthropic organisations of Tata Trusts, which oversees the $150-billion Tata group. The move is being seen as part of the Trusts' succession plan. Noel Tata's wife Aloo is the daughter of Pallonji Mistry, whose family owns an 18.5 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of Tata group.
Noel Tata -- the half-brother of late Rata Tata -- who takes over as chairman of Tata Trusts, has been with the Tata Group for over four decades, slowly rising through the ranks in the salt-to-software conglomerate. Having functioned mostly under the shadows of his illustrious half-brother, Noel (67) will now have the responsibility of leading the Tata Trusts -- broadly comprising Sir Ratan Tata Trust & Allied Trusts, and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust & Allied Trusts -- that hold a controlling 66 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding and promoter firm of Tata Group companies.
Will it be Noel Tata, Ratan Tata's half brother?
'The quality of a leader should be such that even if the leader is not there, the institution carries on.'
'He was a practical person who ensured that he thought about the common man, animals, the fact that they have a life and they have to be respected.'
These trusts hold 66 per cent stake in unlisted Tata Sons, the holding company of the $100-billion Tata group of companies.
He may play an indirect role in group beyond Dec next year.
The Tata Trusts disbursed more grants in the last 10 years than they did in the previous 100 years.
If Cyrus's protestations of having no knowledge of his imminent dismissal are to be taken at face value, he was extraordinarily naive and insulated from the ground reality. There were enough straws in the wind to suggest that his relations with Ratan were fast deteriorating to a point of no return.
Shapoorji and Pallonji Group to contest Cyrus Mistry's ouster from Tata Sons
Of the six chairmen that Tata group has had in its 148 years, the longest serving was Jehangir Ratanji Dadabhoy
'And he was really trying just to do the best by the shareholders, and by the laws of India.'
What would happen to the ownership after Ratan Tata? The succession plan for the 263,862 Tata Sons promoter shares owned by seven Tata Trusts and other holdings of Tata brothers? Would a younger family member inherit?
While the entry of 62-year-old Noel Tata, half brother of Ratan Tata, into Tata Trusts is being seen as a significant departure from the past within the salt-to-software conglomerate, Jehangir, a long-standing philanthropist is expected to add heft to Tata Trusts.
'I think Ratan felt he had to do everything that he could to retain control of the company started by his forefathers, because that was the first priority and nothing else mattered compared to that.'
It is believed that Tata Sons was unhappy with Mistry's approach of shedding non-profit businesses, including the conglomerate's steel business in Europe, and concentrating only on cash cows
Terms reveal that such premature redemption is allowable on dividend reset dates in case there is no agreement on the dividend rate
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