Maharashtra charity commissioner intervenes
Authorities directed Tata Trusts to defer the scheduled board meeting pending an inquiry
A major development has emerged around Tata Trusts after the Maharashtra State Charity Commissioner directed the organisation to defer a crucial board meeting scheduled for May 16 over concerns related to the composition of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust board.
The order comes amid an ongoing inquiry into alleged violations of provisions under the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act linked to the number of lifetime trustees on the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT).
Tata Trusts confirmed receiving the directive and said the order was “ex-parte”, adding that it specifically concerns Sir Ratan Tata Trust and not the wider Tata Trusts network.
“The directions received from the Office of Charity Commissioner are being examined by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust,” Tata Trusts said in a statement.
The meeting was considered significant as key issues related to Tata Sons — including discussions around a possible listing, the reappointment of chairman N Chandrasekaran and other board-level matters — were reportedly expected to be taken up.
The board meeting had originally been scheduled for May 8 but was later shifted to May 16.
According to the order issued by Maharashtra State Charity Commissioner Amogh S Kaloti, the meeting should not proceed until the completion of an inspector-led inquiry into the trust’s board structure.
“It is further directed not to hold any such meeting till submission of the report of the inspector inquiry,” the order stated.
The inquiry stems from a complaint filed by lawyer Katyayani Agrawal, who alleged that the trust’s current composition violates Section 30A(2) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act.
The provision, amended in September 2025, limits the number of perpetual or lifetime trustees to a maximum of 25 per cent of the total board strength.
At present, Sir Ratan Tata Trust reportedly has six trustees, three of whom — Jimmy Naval Tata, Jehangir HC Jehangir and Noel Naval Tata — are lifetime trustees, accounting for 50 per cent of the board.
Agrawal said the charity commissioner had directed Tata Trusts to defer all future board meetings until the inquiry is completed.
“The inspector appointed will conduct an inquiry and submit a report to the charity commissioner,” she told PTI.
Tata Trusts, however, has maintained that the 2025 amendment to the law should apply prospectively and not retrospectively.
Sir Ratan Tata Trust holds around 23.6 per cent stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, making the issue particularly significant for the conglomerate’s governance structure.
The matter is expected to remain under close watch as the inquiry progresses.
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