Venu, Vijay Singh query Noel's merger plan to avoid Tata Sons IPO

Tata Trusts vice-chairmen Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh have raised objections to chairman Noel Tata's plan to merge two subsidiaries into the holding company to circumvent an IPO. In a letter sent on September 30, the two vice chairmen stated that Noel Tata proceeded with the proposal without consulting the boards of the trusts that govern Tata Sons.

They questioned whether the plan could be presented as the institutional position of Tata Trusts. The merger proposal, announced on September 28, aimed to combine Tata Electronics Systems Solutions and Tata Consulting Engineers, both wholly-owned subsidiaries of Tata Sons, into Tata Sons. The trust had earlier mentioned that Noel Tata's actions were based on a resolution from July 28 of the previous year, which sought to keep Tata Sons private and unlisted.

However, recent developments, such as the RBI's refusal to deregister Tata Sons and direct compliance with NBFC regulations, have altered the circumstances. The vice chairmen are surprised by the revelation and assert that they were not consulted, neither were the other trustees. They are also concerned about the trust's ability to convene a board meeting on such a significant matter due to a recent order by the Maharashtra charity commissioner.

The vice chairmen emphasized that while shareholders can express their views, the final decision lies with the Tata Sons board. They warned that any attempt by the Trusts to interfere with Tata Sons' commercial decisions could jeopardize their charitable status and the value of the group.