The directive followed a high-level meeting between Tata leaders Noel Tata, N. Chandrasekaran, and Union ministers Amit Shah and Nirmala Sitharaman amid growing concerns over the conglomerate’s governance issues. The central government has reportedly directed the Tata Group to take decisive action to restore harmony and stability within its leadership ranks as tensions escalate between factions of Tata Trusts and Tata Sons. According to an ET report, key Tata officials—Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, and N. Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons—held a late-night meeting with Union home minister Amit Shah and finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman in New Delhi.
Officials familiar with the discussions indicated that the government is deeply concerned about the potential fallout of the boardroom dispute and its impact on the operations of the country’s most influential conglomerate. The message conveyed was clear: as majority shareholders in Tata Sons, Tata Trusts bears a responsibility to resolve disagreements discreetly and uphold public trust. The rift within Tata Trusts reportedly centers on the removal of former defence secretary Vijay Singh from the Tata Sons board, which has exposed a split between trustees aligned with Noel Tata and those supporting Mehli Mistry. Mistry’s group, which includes several key trustees, has alleged a lack of transparency in board decisions.
The conflict comes at a crucial time for Tata Sons, which is negotiating both with the Reserve Bank of India to retain its private status and with the Shapoorji Pallonji Group over its stake exit. Multiple vacancies on the Tata Sons board are also pending, adding to the uncertainty. As of now, Tata Trusts, Tata Sons, and key individuals involved have declined to comment publicly on the matter.