Tata Trusts Reappoints Venu Srinivasan as Lifetime Trustee Amid Internal Dispute

Despite internal strife among the organisation’s divisions, Venu Srinivasan was overwhelmingly reappointed as a trustee for life by Tata Trusts, the philanthropic arm of the Tata Group, according to a report by news agency PTI on October 21, 2025. At a time when Tata Trusts’ workforce is vertically divided, Venu Srinivasan’s reappointment occurs just before his term ends on October 23, 2025.

Two factions support Mehli Mistry, who has connections to the Shapoorji Pallonji family, and Noel Tata, who assumed leadership upon Ratan Tata’s death. The agency was informed by those with knowledge of the development that there was unanimous support for Srinivasan’s reappointment. Tata Trust, however, declined to answer the news agency’s questions.

Reappointment of Mehli Mistry Might be on the Cards

Now that Venu Srinivasan has been reappointed, attention is turning to Mehli Mistry, whose tenure as a trustee ends on October 28, 2025, being reappointed. The report states that the unanimous consent of the trustees for the lifetime tenure appointment will be necessary for Mistry to be reappointed and continue serving as a trustee.

According to a news agency report, in accordance with previous practice, a unanimous vote is needed for both renewal and a new appointment. Unanimous consent is needed for renewal, after which it will be permanent. Additionally, they stated that all trustees are automatically reappointed.

Operations of Tata Trust

The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust are two of the charitable trusts that are under the management of Tata Trusts. Additionally, the organisation owns a 66% share in Tata Sons, the primary holding company that owns stock in every Tata Group company.

The report states that the original meeting, which took place on October 17, 2024, decided that a trustee’s term should be extended by the trust in question, with no time limit on this appointment.

A trustee would violate the commitment and be unfit to serve at “Tata Trusts by such conduct,” according to the report, if they decide to vote against this resolution. Over 18% of Tata Sons, the holding company for all Tata Group firms, is owned by the Shapoorji Pallonji family.