Venu Srinivasan Halts New Trustee Appointments at Tata Trust
Venu Srinivasan, Vice-Chairman of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), objected to the surprise appointment of Neville Tata and Bhaskar Bhat as trustees during a recent board meeting. The resolution was brought up under “Any other items for discussion” despite not being listed on the official agenda.
Key Developments
- Venu Srinivasan objected to unlisted trustee appointments
- Neville Tata and Bhaskar Bhat appointed to Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT)
- Executive committee disbanded, powers centralized with Chairman Noel Tata
- New Maharashtra ordinance limits trustee tenure to three years
Meeting Drama Unfolds
According to sources present at the November 12, 2025 board meetings, Srinivasan argued that such significant appointments required proper discussion and should have been formally listed in the agenda. The Tata Trusts meetings saw SDTT discussed first, followed by SRTT.
Srinivasan attended the SRTT meeting virtually but was absent from the SDTT meeting due to his appointment requiring confirmation under Maharashtra’s new ordinance. This ordinance, passed on September 1, caps trustee tenures at three years and limits lifetime trustees.
Appointment Proposals
During the SDTT meeting, trustee Darius Khambatta and ex-Citibanker Pramit Jhaveri proposed Neville Tata’s appointment, while Noel Tata recommended Bhaskar Bhat. Fellow trustee Vijay Singh was reportedly surprised by the moves but ultimately agreed.
The meeting also resolved to disband the executive committee that previously managed Trust operations, transferring final authority to Chairman Noel Tata. The committee had included Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, Noel Tata, and Mehli Mistry (until his term ended).
SRTT and SDTT remain the two largest trusts within the Tata family, collectively holding over 51% stake in Tata Sons.
