Uncertainty over Neville Tata’s entry into Sir Ratan Tata Trust as board meeting is delayed

The anticipated induction of Neville Tata, son of Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata, into the Sir Ratan Tata Trust did not take place on Saturday, after the board meeting convened for the purpose was postponed.

Reports suggest that the meeting was postponed as all trustees were unable to attend. “It will be rescheduled shortly,” an official told The Indian Express.

The SRTT board had been slated to meet on Saturday to induct Neville Tata as a trustee. A senior Tata official had said earlier this week that the move was imminent, subject to consensus among trustees. “Neville is likely to join the Sir Ratan Tata Trusts as a trustee later this week, subject to the unanimous approval of all trustees,” the official had said.

The Sir Ratan Tata Trust board, headed by Noel Tata, also includes industrialist Venu Srinivasan, former Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, Ratan Tata’s brother Jimmy N Tata, Jehangir HC Jehangir, and senior lawyer Darius Khambata. The current churn within the Tata Trusts follows the departure of Mehli Mistry on November 4.

Mehli Mistry, who had long been seen as one of Ratan Tata’s closest associates, exited the Tata Trusts following a confrontation with Noel Tata and other members of the board. At the time, Mistry cautioned that “precipitating matters would cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the Tata Trusts.” His attempt to return as a trustee did not find support, with the remaining board members voting down his renomination.

In November 2025, Neville was appointed a trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, the single-largest shareholder in Tata Sons, with a 27.98 per cent stake. Neville’s appointment to the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust was unanimous, according to an official statement, and is for a three-year term. The move was widely seen as consolidating Noel Tata’s position across the trusts that hold the Tata family name.

Educated at Bayes Business School and INSEAD Singapore, Neville entered the Tata group in 2016 through Trent Ltd – the retail arm founded by his grandmother Simone Tata and now chaired by Noel Tata. He is currently associated with the leadership of Zudio, Trent’s fast-growing value fashion brand, which has emerged as one of the group’s key retail success stories.