Tata Trusts Says Pre-2025 Lifetime Trustees Protected Under Maharashtra Law

Tata Trusts on Friday said amendments to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act do not affect the appointment of perpetual or lifetime trustees made before September 1, 2025, asserting that the legal changes are prospective in nature. The statement came shortly after Maharashtra’s Charity Commissioner directed the trusts to defer a board meeting scheduled for Saturday amid an ongoing governance dispute.

In its response, Tata Trusts stated that appointments made before the amended law came into force remain valid and unaffected by the revised provisions. The organisation also pointed out that the Bombay High Court had already disposed of a petition seeking a stay on the board meeting after the plea was withdrawn on May 13. According to the trusts, the court observed that the petitioner was not the original complainant in the matter before the Charity Commissioner.

Tata Trusts further said it had not been aware of any complaint raised by Venu Srinivasan, a trustee of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, until receiving directions from the Charity Commissioner’s office on Friday. The statement added that Srinivasan had earlier acknowledged notices regarding the original board meeting scheduled for May 8 as well as the rescheduled meeting planned for May 16.

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At the centre of the dispute is a provision in the amended Maharashtra Public Trusts Act that limits lifetime or perpetual trustees to 25 per cent of a trust’s board strength. A petition before authorities alleges that the Sir Ratan Tata Trust exceeds this ceiling, with three of its six trustees — Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata, and Jehangir Jehangir — serving as perpetual trustees.

The governance concerns have widened beyond trustee appointments to include questions surrounding board procedures, reappointments, and compliance with trust deeds across several entities linked to Tata Trusts. At the Tata Education and Development Trust, trustee Mehli Mistry reportedly opposed proposals to reappoint Srinivasan and Singh, whose terms were due to expire on May 11. Under the trust’s rules, agenda items require unanimous approval among board members.

The developments have intensified scrutiny around governance practices within the Tata Trusts network, one of India’s most influential philanthropic institutions. Additional complaints before the Charity Commissioner have reportedly raised concerns over trustee eligibility, procedural compliance, and the validity of resolutions passed by various trusts connected to the Tata group’s charitable ecosystem.

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