MUMBAI: Noel Tata voted against the reappointment of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh as trustees of the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT), the largest trust within the Tata Trusts, in a move that widens fault lines within one of India’s most powerful philanthropic structures.
This is the first time that Noel has unequivocally declared his opposition to the duo.The vote, the last of four on the matter, was added to the ruling that had already been sealed when Mehli Mistry became the first to oppose the extension of the duo, shortly after the issuance of the guardianship renewal circular.Under TEDT’s governance rules, reappointments require unanimous approval among trustees — a threshold that has already been blocked by a close vote.
And then Jehangir Mistry voted against both men as well. Srinivasan and Singh voted for each other. The score was 3-1 for both.
Noel’s vote signals a widening gap between Tata funds since 2015
Their tenure at the influential Tata Fund, which supports projects in India and abroad, officially ended on Sunday, May 10. Noel Tata’s vote against Srinivasan and Singh has significantly reduced the influence of both men within the broader Tata Trusts ecosystem, even as they remain vice-chairmen of Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) – the two main funds that together hold a controlling stake in Tata Sons.
The rift between Noel and the duo deepened after Srinivasan and Singh publicly backed the Tata Sons list, a move Noel opposed. In an email to the Tata Trusts CEO, Mohli said, “My affidavit in response to the report of change in board composition of SDTT explains the reasons why I chose to take such a decision.” According to the affidavit, Noel, Srinivasan and Singh incorrectly voted against him in the SDTT. He also said that Srinivasan participated in the vote even though his term in the SDTT had already ended.
TEDT, with a capital of Rs 5,600 crore, has been among the most prominent Indian donors to Ivy League institutions, including Harvard Business School and Cornell University, and owns and operates two cancer hospitals in India while supporting 17 others through grants.Following Board changes, Noel remains Chairman of the Board and permanent Trustee of TEDT. Mahli continues his role as permanent guardian, while Jehangir holds a fixed-term guardianship. With the departure of Srinivasan and Singh, the TEDT Conference is now at the minimum of three secretaries allowed under its instrument. An email sent to Noel elicited no response. The vote is the latest and most visible expression of the fracture within the Tata Trusts that has widened since late 2025.
TEDT, set up by former Tata Trusts Chairman Ratan Tata in 2008, is perhaps the only fund within Tata Trusts that can support social projects in India and abroad.
