Vijay Singh has stepped down as a trustee of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) ahead of the expiry of his term on August 14, ending his long association with one of the key trusts in the Tata ecosystem. Singh has informed the Tata Trusts that he does not wish to be considered for reappointment.
Following his departure, the SRTT board comprises three lifetime trustees—Noel Tata, Jimmy N Tata and Jehangir HC Jehangir—along with Venu Srinivasan and Darius Khambata. Last year, Mehli Mistry, a longtime confidant of the late Ratan Tata, stepped down from several trusts under the Tata Trusts umbrella after failing to secure the unanimous support required for his reappointment to the boards of SRTT and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
Singh will, however, continue as a trustee of SDTT until his current term ends in July 2027. The former defence secretary will also remain on the boards of several smaller trusts, including the JRD Tata Trust, RD Tata Trust, Tata Education Trust, JRD and Thelma J Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust and Jamsetji Tata Trust, all part of the SDTT and Allied Trusts.
He also remains on the boards of two entities under the SRTT and Allied Trusts—the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution and the Navajbai Ratan Tata Trust.
Ongoing Governance Disputes
Singh’s position on the board of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution has been challenged by Mistry, who has cited eligibility conditions contained in its trust deed. Mistry has claimed that Singh and Srinivasan are ineligible to serve as trustees because they are neither Mumbai residents nor members of the Zoroastrian faith. Srinivasan has since stepped down from the institution’s board, while Singh continues as a trustee. Singh was also removed as a nominee director from the Tata Sons board late last year.
In May, Singh and Srinivasan stepped down from another Tata trust—the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT)—after failing to secure unanimous support for their reappointment. TEDT is the only trust on whose board Mistry continues to serve, by virtue of being a lifetime trustee.
Singh’s departure comes as SRTT faces regulatory scrutiny and internal differences. The Trust has sought permission from the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner to hold key meetings after the regulator restrained it from convening them pending a decision on a complaint concerning the alleged transfer of Navajbai shares and the appointment of perpetual trustees. According to the Trust, charitable disbursements of around ₹400 crore and important shareholder decisions are at risk because of the delay.
Stance on Tata Sons IPO
People familiar with the matter said Singh was also unlikely to have secured unanimous support from fellow trustees for another term at SRTT following his public remarks favouring a potential listing of Tata Sons. Those views, also shared by Srinivasan, were seen as being at variance with the Trusts’ position under chairman Noel Tata, which favours retaining Tata Sons as a privately held company.
SRTT and SDTT together hold a 66% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata group.
SRTT board after Singh’s exit