The participation of Tata’s children in  trusts

Maya and Leah Tata, the daughters of Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, have joined the Board of Trustees at Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII). SRTII, which is part of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, is among the main stakeholders in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.

They substituted Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati, who stepped down from the board. This change signifies the involvement of Noel Tata’s offspring in all minor Tata Trusts boards, although they have not yet become part of the major trusts, specifically Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Allied Trusts as well as Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts.

Leah (39), Maya (36), and Neville (32) are the three kids of Noel Tata. Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s stepbrother, was named chairman of Tata Trusts in October 2024. As reported by the Economic Times, these alterations have led to internal conflicts, with departing trustee Arnaz Kotwal voicing her dissatisfaction regarding the way her resignation was handled.

In a letter to her fellow trustees, Arnaz Kotwal expressed her dissatisfaction at being requested to resign without any direct communication from the board. She disclosed that Burgess Taraporewala, an executive at Tata Trusts, and Siddharth Sharma, the CEO, had helped the resignation process via a third party.

In a different email to Taraporewala, Kotwal claimed that the request for resignation was made at Noel Tata’s urging. She mentioned that Mehli Mistry had contacted her about her resignation as well. Tata Trusts refrained from commenting, but an ET report stated that Leah and Maya Tata, due to their strong ties with SRTII operations, have recently been appointed to the Sir Ratan Tata Trust Board of Trustees, which appoints three out of SRTII’s six board members as per its trust deed.

Freddy Talati and Arnaz Kotwal, the departing trustees, have transitioned to different positions. Talati is currently linked with NCPA, whereas Kotwal is employed by VFS Global in Dubai. Founded in 1928 by Lady Navajbai Tata and the Stree Zarthosti Mandal, SRTII aims to create job opportunities for disadvantaged women. The institute provides training in culinary skills, stitching, needlework, and Montessori education.

To aid SRTII’s continuous improvements, the Sir Ratan Tata Trust looked for trustees who have experience in SRTII functions and a consistent presence in Mumbai. The SRTT board unanimously approved the appointment of Leah and Maya Tata, with members such as Noel Tata, Vijay Singh, Venu Srinivasan, Darius Khambata, Jehangir H. Jehangir, and Mehli Mistry in agreement. Maya and Leah Tata serve in managerial positions at the Tata Group. Maya works at Tata Digital, whereas Leah serves as the Vice President of Indian Hotels. Leah holds a master’s degree in marketing from IE Business School. Maya started her career at Tata Capital and is a member of the team overseeing the Tata Neu app.

The change also signals a continuing generational shift occurring within the Tata Trusts.