Maya And Leah Tata Join Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute’s Board Of Trustees: Report
SRTII, which was established in 1928 by Lady Navajbai Tata and the Stri Zarthostri Mandal, has long been dedicated to providing employment opportunities for women from underprivileged backgrounds.
Maya and Leah Tata, daughters of Noel Tata, have been appointed to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII), the two sisters replace outgoing trustees Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati, as per a report by the Economic Times.
The move is seen as part of the Tata Trusts' initiative to ensure greater local involvement in the management and operations of the institute. As key members of the Tata family, Maya and Leah Tata already hold prominent positions within various Tata group companies. Their addition to the SRTII board is expected to further strengthen their involvement in the philanthropic and industrial activities of the Tata group, the report highlighted.
Maya (36), Leah (39), and Neville (32) are the children of Noel Tata, who was appointed chairman of Tata Trusts in October 2024. While Maya and Leah's inclusion on the SRTII board reflects their growing roles within the Tata group, their names have not yet been inducted into the two primary Tata Trusts—the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust.
SRTII, which was established in 1928 by Lady Navajbai Tata and the Stri Zarthostri Mandal, has long been dedicated to providing employment opportunities for women from underprivileged backgrounds. The institute has run programs in cooking, tailoring, embroidery, and Montessori teacher training, empowering women with skills for financial independence.
The decision to appoint Maya and Leah Tata to the board of SRTII follows their active involvement with the institute's operations, particularly as the organisation plans to embark on significant upgrades. According to sources as per ET, the trustees of SRTT preferred nominees who were already familiar with the workings of the institute and were based locally in Mumbai, given the need for regular, hands-on guidance during the revamping process.
The transition of trustees, however, has not been without some internal tension. Arnaz Kotwal, one of the outgoing trustees, reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with the manner in which she was asked to step down to make way for the new appointments. Kotwal, who had been serving on the board for some time, has relocated to Dubai, where she works with VFS Global. Freddy Talati, the other trustee to step down, is currently involved with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), the ET report said.
The appointment of Maya and Leah Tata to the SRTII board was unanimously approved by the board of trustees of SRTT, which includes notable figures such as Noel Tata, Vijay Singh, Venu Srinivasan, Darius Khambata, Jehangir H. Jehangir, and Mehli Mistry.
Other current trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute include Farida Tata, Aloo Tata, Mehnosh Kapadia, and Dhan Khusrokhan, as per ET.
