Tata Trusts Power Struggle Explained In 10 Key Points

In a high-stakes power struggle, the rift within Tata Trusts, the controlling shareholder of Tata Sons, has reached Delhi, drawing the attention of top government ministers. Here’s the conflict explained in 10 key points based only on available details.

1. The Delhi Meeting
Senior Tata leaders, including Noel Tata, N Chandrasekaran, Venu Srinivasan, and Darius Khambata, met Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday evening, joined later by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, to discuss the growing turmoil within Tata Trusts.

2. Why the Meeting Matters
The meeting signals the government’s concern over possible instability in one of India’s most influential business houses, given the Tata Group’s massive role in the economy.

3. The Core Issue
The tension stems from disputes over governance and board appointments within Tata Trusts, which controls a majority stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the $350-billion Tata Group.

 

4. The September Turning Point
The rift reportedly began in September 2025, when Vijay Singh, former Defence Secretary and trustee of Tata Trusts, did not attend a crucial meeting on September 11 regarding his reappointment as a director on the Tata Sons board.

5. A Divided Boardroom
Of the six trustees who attended that meeting, opinions were split, one faction backing Noel Tata, and the other, consisting of four trustees, aligning with Mehli Mistry, cousin of the late Cyrus Mistry and supporter of Ratan Tata.

6. Who Controls What
Tata Trusts holds about 66% of Tata Sons, giving it decisive control over the group’s governance, appointments, and strategic direction across its many companies.

 

7. Why It Matters to the Tata Group
Any instability within Tata Trusts could impact Tata Sons and its subsidiaries, including Tata Steel, Tata Motors, TCS, and Tata Capital, which are critical to India’s industrial and financial ecosystem.

8. The Scale of the Tata Empire
With a presence in over 100 countries, the Tata Group’s portfolio spans salt, watches, hotels, jewellery, airlines, software, power, and steel, making it part of everyday Indian life. In 2024-25, the aggregate revenue of Tata companies was more than $180 billion. These companies collectively employ over one million people. There are 26 publicly listed Tata companies with an aggregate market capitalisation of more than $328 billion as on March 31, 2025.  

9. The Investor Connection
Tata companies’ collective revenue was over $180 billion in FY25, employing more than one million people. Tata Motors alone has a market cap of  Rs 2,55,899 Crore, with over 67 lakh shareholders.

 

10. What’s at Stake
As government leaders engage with Tata executives, the focus is on ensuring a smooth leadership transition and governance clarity within Tata Trusts, to prevent the feud from spilling into the broader Tata ecosystem.

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