Tata Feud Resolution In Sight? Mehli Mistry May Have Softened Stance: Source

A day ahead of the Tata Trusts committee meeting on Oct. 10, a source close to Mehli Mistry shared with NDTV Profit that he does not have any interest in being appointed on Tata Sons' board.

Putting to rest all the speculations on the clash over Tata Sons' board position, the source also shared that there is no talk of Mehli Mistry distancing from Tata Trusts due to the conflict.

The meeting is expected to function smoothly, and it is likely to be business as usual as they look to bury the hatchet and move on, the source shared. The Tata Trusts' meetings are for conducting philanthropic activities.

Notably, Tata Trusts is meeting for the first time on Oct. 10 after the clash came to the fore last month.

NDTV Profit reached out to Mehli Mistry and received “no comment” as his response on the above information.

This comes a couple of days after top Tata Trusts leaders dialed the government as internal tensions widened. Amid escalating discord among trustees, the Centre had taken cognisance of the rift and advised Tata Trusts to maintain institutional stability and resolve differences internally, sources told NDTV Profit.

During the hour-long meeting on Tuesday evening, four senior Tata Group leaders —Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, N. Chandrasekaran, and Darius Khambata — briefed top Cabinet ministers on the internal discord.

The meeting followed a request by two trustees seeking government intervention to mediate the ongoing rift. "The conduct of one trustee was also discussed, with participants advised firm corrective action to preserve the Trusts' credibility and balance of power," said a source privy to the discussion.

The rift, which has divided Tata Trusts into two camps, came to the fore following a stormy board meeting in September. It was sparked by infighting among trustees over board appointments, information sharing, and Tata Sons' long-pending listing obligations.

The Noel Tata camp — comprising Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, and Vijay Singh (a former nominee director of Tata Sons) — is said to be pushing for continuity and due process before any governance changes are made.

The opposing faction, led by Mehli Mistry, includes Pramit Jhaveri, Jehangir Jehangir, and Darius Khambata. This group had opposed the reappointment of Vijay Singh and pushed for new nominee directors, triggering a 3-versus-4 split among the trustees.

For the government, the infighting at Tata Trusts isn't just a boardroom dispute, it's a matter of systemic importance. Tata Sons sits at the heart of India's economy, with deep exposure across banking, steel, aviation, automobiles, and technology.