MUMBAI, Apr 4 : Venu Srinivasan, Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor and “Vice Chairman” of seven Tata Group trusts, resigned from the Bai Hirabai Charitable Trust on Saturday morning, citing his preoccupation with “other business commitments”, adding a fresh dimension to the ongoing internal tensions within the Tata Trusts structure.
The Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHJTNCI) is one of the several trusts which collectively hold a major stake in Tata Sons, which is the holding company of the Tata Group.
The Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution was established in 1923 as a philanthropic institution focused on Parsi Zoroastrian community welfare in Navsari, Gujarat, with a mandate spanning education and healthcare. It forms part of the allied Tata Trusts and shares a common Board of Trustees with the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Srinivasan resigned after former trustee Mehli Mistry filed an objection application with the Maharashtra State Charity Commissioner, contending that neither Srinivasan nor Singh ever met the qualifications to be trustees and were therefore expressly disqualified as per Trust Deed rules.
Srinivasan was appointed as a “Vice-Chairman” and trustee for several key Tata Trusts, including the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT).
Mehli Mistry, former trustee of three-key trusts of the Tata Group including the Bai Hirabai Trust Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHJTNCI), formally challenged the appointment of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh in the BHJTNCI on Friday, April 3, 2026.
Mistry’s objection application invoked Clauses 6 and 18 of the Trust Deed, under which any disqualified trustee must be treated as “deemed dead”.
Mistry’s objection application stated that both Venu Srinivasan and another trustee Vijay Singh have never been of the Parsi Zoroastrian faith and hence do not hold permanent residence in Mumbai. As per trust norms, these are the two conditions which Mehli Mehta cited as mandatory for trusteeship. Based on these conditions, Mehta sought a suo motu inquiry by the Maharashtra State Charity Commissioner, urging it to direct all trustees to file affidavits confirming their eligibility.
Mistry has alleged that the appointment of these ineligible individuals (namely Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh) constitutes fraud and criminal breach of trust, which amounts to mismanagement under the Indian Penal Code (BNS) 2024 and the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950. He contends that any action taken by them as trustees is legally void.
Mistry clarified in his application that the purpose of his complaint is not to seek his reinstatement or reinstatement in the trust.
According to Mistry, his sole objective is to expose the alleged illegal practices of the trust and to preserve the values of Ratan Tata and the founders for the welfare of the Parsi community.
Mehli Mistry had raised governance objections within the Tata Trusts ecosystem earlier as well. In October 2024, the Tata Trusts board had passed a resolution to reappoint Mehli Mistry as a life trustee, but the appointment was not approved due to opposition from three trustees. However, instead of escalating the controversy, Mehli Mistry took an honorable exit from the Trust on November 4, 2025, expressing his commitment to the late Ratan Tata.
Later, in February 2026, while serving as a trustee on the board of the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT), Mehli Mistry objected to a proposal to abolish the position of “Vice-Chairman” across all Tata Trusts, arguing that the Trust Deed of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution contained no provision for such a position.
Presently, the Trust has six trustees, including Chairman Noel N Tata and the two “vice-chairmen” mentioned in Mehli Mistry’s complaint.
All eyes are now on the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner’s decision. If an investigation is ordered, major administrative changes and stricter compliance rules are likely to be implemented at the top level of the Tata Trusts.
(UNI)
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