Chairman of Tata Trusts, Noel Tata, appointed his daughters, Maya and Leah Tata, to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII). SRTII reportedly works for employment opportunities for woman.

The move, however, reportedly created an internal rift as Arnaz Kotwal, one of the outgoing board members, expressed displeasure over the lack of communication from the trustees on the matter.

Noel Tata was unanimously appointed as Chairman of Tata Group's philanthropic arm Tata Trusts after the demise of Ratan Naval Tata at age 86 in October 2024. 

The board decided to appoint Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half-brother, who is on the boards of several listed company firms, including Tata Steel and Voltas.

Noel Tata has been instrumental in driving the conglomerate’s growth since he joined the Tata Group in the early 2000s.

Earlier in 2024, Noel Tata’s three children were appointed as trustees in multiple trusts associated with the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.

Leah is currently vice president at The Indian Hotels while Maya is associated with Tata Capital. Neville is involved in Trent and the leadership team at Star Bazaar.

Tata Trusts is the umbrella body that manages the functions of all 14 Tata Trusts. Tata Trusts own 65.3% of Tata Sons and plays a significant role in guiding the direction of one of India’s largest conglomerates.

Ownership of Tata Sons is largely held by two key trusts under Tata Trust – Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, which together comprise over 50% of the ownership.

(with inputs from syndicated feed)