The Maharashtra Charity Commissioner has asked the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) to reply to complaints lodged by vice-chairmen Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh on September 25. The allegations claim that SDTT, the largest shareholder in Tata Sons, has overstepped its charitable mandate by meddling in the holding company’s commercial and strategic affairs.
The complaint seeks interim measures that would bar SDTT from convening board meetings, strip it of voting rights at Tata Sons’ annual general meeting, and allow the removal or suspension of trustees if violations are proven. It also calls for the exclusion of Noel Tata from board decisions while he serves as a nominee director.
In a bid to shield itself, Noel Tata and his son, trustee Neville Tata, filed 36 caveats between September 30 and early October, invoking sections of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act that empower authorities to suspend board activity and restrict trust property dealings. The 150‑to‑200‑page filings included 30 additional caveats covering six other Tata trusts that hold shares in Tata Sons.
Earlier this year, the commissioner had barred the Sir Ratan Tata Trust from holding board meetings after a similar complaint highlighted a breach of statutory limits on perpetual trustees. That order was issued ex parte because the trust had not filed a caveat and only learned of the complaint after the commissioner acted.
If the commissioner grants the requested interim orders, the governance framework of Tata Sons could shift dramatically, curtailing the influence of SDTT and its affiliated trusts. A hearing is likely to be scheduled before the deadline, and the decision is expected to be announced by mid‑October, which could prompt a re‑configuration of the holding company’s board structure.