Darius Khambata to leave Tata Trusts, says ‘independence comes at a cost’

Darius Khambata, a key ally of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, announced his departure from the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust when his term expires on November 8. In a four-page letter dated November 2, Khambata expressed his reluctance to seek another term, citing the ongoing divide between Noel Tata and Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran.

He emphasized that his independence came at a cost, having at times diverged from the views of others, including Noel. The departure of Khambata leaves the Tata Trusts with five trustees: Noel, Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, Neville Tata, and Bhaskar Bhat. Meanwhile, the Sir Ratan Tata Trust will have four trustees: Noel, Srinivasan, Jimmy Tata, and Jehangir H C Jehangir.

Khambata's decision to leave is seen as a significant development at a tense moment for the trusts, as their board composition becomes more fixed.