Tata ‘trust’ rift deepens as insider opens new front

Venu Srinivasan, trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, has demanded an immediate inquiry into the administration and governance of the Tata Trusts. In a letter to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, Srinivasan alleged "serious governance lapses" and raised concerns over involvement in Tata Sons' commercial affairs.

He questioned the appointment and continued status of Noel Tata as a perpetual trustee, his son Neville's appointment, and his own exclusion from the decision-making process. Srinivasan also pointed out the increasing involvement of the Tata Trusts in Tata Sons' business decisions, which he said was inconsistent with the trust's charitable objective and could jeopardize its tax-exempt status and charitable corpus.