Maharashtra Charity Commissioner Asks Tata Trusts To Respond By Oct 12 To Venu Srinivasan’s Governance Complaint Against SDTT

The Maharashtra Charity Commissioner has asked Tata Trusts to respond by Oct 12 to a complaint filed by Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) trustee Venu Srinivasan alleging governance lapses at the Trust, Moneycontrol reported.

The regulatory action follows Srinivasan’s September 24 letter seeking an inquiry into SDTT’s administration, trustee appointments, decision-making and its involvement in matters related to Tata Sons.

Tata Trusts filed caveats before the Charity Commissioner on Sept 30, seeking to ensure that no order is passed on Srinivasan’s complaint without giving the Trusts an opportunity to be heard.

Srinivasan questions trustee appointments

Srinivasan, who is also a nominee director on the Tata Sons board, questioned the appointment and continued status of Noel Tata as a perpetual trustee and the basis for his chairmanship of Tata Trusts.

He also sought an inquiry into the appointment of Noel Tata’s son Neville Tata as an SDTT trustee, alleging that he was excluded from the decision-making process.

The complaint further questioned what Srinivasan alleged was SDTT’s involvement in the commercial and strategic affairs of Tata Sons.

He challenged an SDTT circular resolution issued on Sept 16 that sought to prevent him, as a nominee director on the Tata Sons board, from participating in or voting on the proposed listing of Tata Sons.

Srinivasan alleged that the resolution interfered with his independent judgement as a director.

Pending an inquiry, he has sought a freeze on changes to SDTT’s board composition and restrictions on Noel Tata’s participation in certain decisions involving SDTT and Tata Sons.

Earlier SRTT dispute adds regulatory backdrop

The latest development follows regulatory action involving Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) earlier this year.

In May, the Charity Commissioner directed SRTT to defer a board meeting and restrained it from convening further meetings pending an inquiry into its trustee composition.

The dispute involved three permanent trustees on SRTT’s six-member board.

An amendment to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, effective September 2025, limits perpetual or life trustees to one-fourth of a public trust’s total trustees. Srinivasan had also filed a complaint over the SRTT matter on April 28.