Venu, Singh’s presence in TEDT branches in focus

MUMBAI: M Pallonji Group director and trustee Mehli Mistry raised questions at the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT) meeting on Monday over whether trustees who no longer sit on the board should continue to sit on affiliated bodies, a challenge directed squarely at Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh.It was TEDT’s first meeting since Srinivasan and Singh’s reappointment was blocked by Mehli, chairman Noel Tata and trustee Jehangir Mistry. Their terms ended last month. Noel is learned to have responded “we will think about it,” pushing the matter to a later date.Mehli’s remarks targeted Singh, who retains board positions at the Tata Cancer Care Foundation and the Assam Cancer Care Foundation, and Srinivasan, who remains on the board of the Tata Indian Institute of Skills.Mehli drew on his own precedent to make the point—noting that after his trusteeship was not extended at the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, he had voluntarily stepped down from affiliated bodies including the Bai Hirabai Trust and the National Centre for the Performing Arts.However, people familiar with the legalities said that though these three entities have been backed by TEDT, they are separate entities and their boards will have to take a call as and when their members’ terms come up for renewal.Prior to the TEDT meeting, the board of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) met to discuss routine funding matters, with contentious issues such as the deferred renewal of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran’s appointment and the potential Tata Sons listing kept off the agenda entirely. The meeting discussed funding for a multispeciality hospital in Nagpur in association with the National Cancer Institute and an undergraduate college in Bengaluru. Tata Trusts disbursed Rs 1,585 crore in grants in FY2026— nearly double the Rs 850 crore distributed the year before. All trustees attended except Singh. SDTT chairman Noel Tata and his son Neville Tata were physically present alongside trustee Bhaskar Bhat, while Darius Khambata and Srinivasan joined by video conference.The Sir Ratan Tata Trust remains barred from holding board meetings following an order by the Maharashtra charity commissioner. Separately, Mehli has filed an objection with the commissioner against a change report submitted by SRTT, alleging governance lapses, conflicts of interest and breaches of fiduciary duty by certain trustees.The filing, submitted on Friday, focuses on commissions and remuneration received by trustees serving as nominee directors on the boards of Tata Sons and its operating companies.