With ban on SRTT, Tata meet takes up routine issues

The boards of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDDT) and others under the Tata Trusts umbrella, except SRTT, met in Mumbai on Friday. SRTT continues to face a ban imposed by the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra pending an investigation into allegations of violation of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act relating to the number of lifetime trustees on its board.

The ban, imposed in May, has already had a significant impact within the Tata ecosystem. For the first time, the Tata Sons annual general meeting (AGM) was adjourned on August 18 due to a lack of quorum. The holding company’s Articles of Association require the two key trusts—SDTT and SRTT—to nominate a joint representative for the AGM. With SRTT unable to convene a board meeting, a representative could not be nominated, resulting in the lack of quorum. SDTT and SRTT together hold 52% of Tata Sons.

Tata Sons has since received an extension to hold its FY26 AGM and now has until December 31 to do so.

The SRTT restriction is also holding up the search and appointment of Tata Sons’ next chairman. In the week leading up to the scheduled AGM, current chairman N Chandrasekaran wrote to the holding company’s board saying he would not seek reappointment when his term ends on February 20, 2027.

The next day, SDTT issued a statement accepting Chandrasekaran’s communication and said it had passed a resolution to initiate the formation of the selection committee to select and appoint the next chairman. However, the constitution of the committee requires SDTT and SRTT to nominate three of its five members. With SRTT still restricted from holding board meetings, the process of appointing the next chairman of Tata Sons cannot progress further.

For SRTT, the ban has meant that the key trust has been unable to conduct business, leaving grants worth Rs 400 crore pending approval, along with its accounts.