Boardroom Rift Erupts at Tata Trusts After Ousting of Trustee Vijay Singh
A major rift has surfaced within the Tata Group’s charity arm, Tata Trusts, after trustees voted to remove Vice Chairman Vijay Singh from the board of Tata Sons — the $180-billion conglomerate’s apex holding company. Singh described the move as “unprecedented,” signalling a shift from the era of consensus leadership once upheld by late patriarch Ratan Tata. The decision marks one of the biggest internal shake-ups in the group since the 2016 public spat between Tata Trusts and Tata Sons.
Tata Trusts, which owns a 66% stake in Tata Sons and oversees around 30 companies including Tata Consultancy Services, Jaguar Land Rover, and Tata Motors, has been grappling with disagreements over board appointments, strategic direction, and the planned exit of minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji Group. Insiders say four trustees voted against Singh’s reappointment, with reasons yet to be publicly clarified.
The development has drawn rare reactions from senior government ministers, urging Tata Trusts to settle its internal differences. According to sources, the charity arm is now split into two factions — one led by Chair Noel Tata and another by trustee Mehli Mistry, cousin of the late Cyrus Mistry. The infighting threatens to reignite the tensions that once clouded India’s most respected corporate house.
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