In the wake of the ongoing rift within Tata Trusts, Ratan Tata’s half-sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy have spoken to Mint, shedding light on how Tata consciously insulated personal relationships from professional decisions.
“He never did,” Deanna told Mint, when asked if Ratan Tata had ever considered family members for roles in the Tata Trusts. “He took great care to ensure his decisions were never influenced by personal relationships.”
Even in matters as sensitive as family, Ratan Tata drew a sharp line between affection and administration. The late chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, who passed away in October of last year at the age of 86, was known for his warmth and humility, but also for an uncompromising sense of propriety when it came to governance.
Their comments come amid reports of growing friction among trustees, leading to the recent removal of Mehli Mistry, a long-time confidant of the late industrialist, from the boards of key Tata philanthropic entities. The removal was a result of three out of five trustees voting against Mistry’s term renewal on 28 October.
A Strict Separation of Family and Institution
While the Tata family’s influence has long shaped the group’s identity, Ratan Tata appears to have been firm about preventing any perception of nepotism. Deanna recalled that her own brief association with the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust was at the insistence of the then-chairman Jamshed Bhabha, not Ratan Tata himself.
“I said Ratan may not like that,” Deanna recounted. “Mr Bhabha said, ‘I’m the chairman, and I want you to join.’”
Shireen, too, confirmed that her brother’s approach to leadership was rooted in ethics rather than personal allegiance. “He took great pride in doing the right thing,” she wrote in a tribute published in Horizons, the Tata Trusts’ in-house magazine.
Rift Among Trustees
The sisters’ remarks come at a time when the Tata Trusts, which collectively hold a controlling stake in Tata Sons, are facing internal divisions over governance and management. The ousting of Mehli Mistry, considered close to Ratan Tata, has paved further way for the speculation of competing factions within the Tata Trusts board.
Both Shireen and Deanna have expressed distress over the turn of events. “We were very close,” Shireen told Mint, speaking of Ratan Tata’s role within the family. “He was always supportive, played jokes on us, and at times looked to us for support. We had a deep love and respect for each other.”
Ironically, Ratan Tata’s legacy of not letting personal relationships hamper professionalism is taking a sharp turn with the factional tensions playing out within his trust.
