Fresh rift at Tata Trusts: Vijay Singh seeks inquiry into SDTT's Tata Sons role

The tussle within Tata Trusts has widened, with Vijay Singh, vice chairman of Tata Trusts and a trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), approaching the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner seeking an immediate inquiry into the trust's governance and its involvement in the commercial and strategic affairs of Tata Sons, according to a report by Economic Times.

Singh has raised concerns over the increasing involvement of SDTT and its trustees in matters concerning Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.

He has also sought action based on the findings of the proposed inquiry, including suspension or removal of trustees where warranted.

Singh told ET that he had written to the Charity Commissioner “around the same time as Venu Srinivasan, expressing similar concerns”.

A key issue raised by Singh is whether SDTT's substantial shareholding in Tata Sons allows the trust to directly participate in the company's commercial affairs.

“SDTT's substantial shareholding in Tata Sons cannot mean that the trust assumes the functions of a commercial enterprise or participates directly in Tata Sons' business affairs,” Singh said in his letter to the Charity Commissioner, according to the ET report.

Singh has also flagged potential tax implications arising from the trust's involvement in Tata Sons.

According to the report, he has cited provisions of the Income Tax Act, 2025 governing commercial activities by registered non-profit organisations. He has argued that activities that are not incidental to a trust's charitable objectives could put its tax registration and exemption at risk.

Singh said the potential consequences for SDTT and its charitable corpus could be significant given the value of its shareholding in Tata Sons.SEEKS ACTION IF INQUIRY FINDS GROUNDS

Singh has sought consequential action based on the findings of the inquiry, including suspension or removal of trustees where warranted and appointment of trustees in accordance with the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act.

He has also sought directions under Section 36A(1) of the Act to restrain SDTT and its board from convening meetings, passing circular resolutions or undertaking processes relating to the administration, management or composition of the trust until the inspector's inquiry is completed.

Singh has further asked that the existing composition of the SDTT board of trustees be maintained while the inquiry is pending.COMES AFTER VENU SRINIVASAN'S COMPLAINT

Singh's move follows a similar complaint by Venu Srinivasan, another vice chairman of Tata Trusts and a trustee of SDTT.

ET reported on September 30 that Srinivasan had sought an inquiry into the appointment and continued status of Noel Tata as a perpetual trustee, as well as the basis on which he assumed and continues to hold the chairmanship of Tata Trusts.

Srinivasan had also sought scrutiny of the appointment of Noel Tata's son Neville Tata as a trustee.

Singh has also raised concerns over what he described as Srinivasan's exclusion from relevant decision-making processes, according to the report.

The two submissions are now before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner.

Tata Trusts has made a submission to the Charity Commissioner seeking an opportunity to be heard before any decision is taken on the complaints.TATA SONS LISTING BATTLE ADDS TO THE BACKDROP

The governance dispute comes as Tata Trusts and Tata Sons are also dealing with a separate battle over the future structure of Tata Sons and its potential listing.

Tata Trusts, which owns 66% of Tata Sons, proposed on September 28 to merge Tata Electronics Systems Solutions Private Limited (TESS) and Tata Consulting Engineers (TCE) with Tata Sons.

The Trusts said the restructuring would give Tata Sons substantial operating revenues and result in an entity that would neither qualify as an NBFC nor as a Core Investment Company.

The proposal is aimed at changing Tata Sons' regulatory classification, which is linked to the mandatory listing requirement under the Reserve Bank of India's Upper Layer NBFC framework.

The proposed restructuring still requires consideration by the Tata Sons board and a no-objection certificate from the RBI.advertisementWHAT HAS HAPPENED IN THE TATA TRUSTS TUSSLE SO FAR?The latest complaints are part of a series of developments around the governance of Tata Trusts and the future of Tata Sons.

Noel Tata became chairman of Tata Trusts in October 2024 after the death of Ratan Tata. Neville Tata was subsequently inducted as a trustee of SDTT in November 2025.

The governance dispute intensified in September 2026, when Venu Srinivasan sought an inquiry into the appointment and status of Noel Tata and the appointment of Neville Tata.

Singh has now approached the Charity Commissioner with concerns over SDTT's governance and its involvement in Tata Sons.

Separately, the Tata Sons listing issue has been playing out with the RBI. Tata Trusts has been seeking to keep Tata Sons unlisted, and its latest restructuring proposal involving TESS and TCE is aimed at changing the company's regulatory status.

The two issues — governance within the trusts and the future of Tata Sons — are unfolding at the same time, with the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner now set to consider the complaints concerning SDTT.- Ends