Internal rift erupted as Noel Tata’s daughters – Maya and Leah took up key roles on the board of directors of Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute: Report

Maya and Leah Tata, daughters of Tata Chairman Noel Tata, have been appointed to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII), a key sub-group of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, according to a report by the Sir Ratan Tata Foundation. Economic times. This fund is a major shareholder of Tata Sons, the holding company of the group.

The sisters replaced outgoing trustees Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talaati, who resigned to make way for new appointments. With the move, Noel Tata’s three sons are now represented on the boards of the smaller Tata funds, although they are yet to be inducted into the two main funds – the Sir Ratan Tata and Allied Fund and the Sir Dorabji Tata and Allied Fund. Trust.

The transformation provokes an internal rift

The transition was not without controversy. Outgoing trustee Arnaz Kotwal expressed her dissatisfaction with the process in a letter to her fellow trustees, stating that she was shocked by the request to resign. The report quoted Kotwal, who is currently based in Dubai and works with VFS Global, as saying: “I was saddened that none of you reached out to talk to me directly about this matter.”

Freddy Talaati, the other outgoing trustee, is now chief operating officer of the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA).

Strategic appointments

According to an official familiar with the matter, Leah and Maya Tata have been appointed to align with SRTII’s ongoing renovation and upgrade plans. The Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), which has the power to nominate three of the six SRTII board members, stressed the need for trustees with prior experience in managing SRTII affairs who are locally based in Mumbai.

The SRTT Board of Directors, which unanimously approved the appointments, includes Noel Tata, Vijay Singh, Venu Srinivasan, Darius Khambatta, Jehangir H. Jehangir and Millie Mistry.

The involvement of Maya and Leah Tata, both millennials, is seen as a strategic move to prepare the next generation for bigger roles within the Tata group.

Maya Tata, who started her career at Tata Capital, is currently part of the team that runs Tata Digital’s Tata Neu app. Leah Tata, Vice President of Indian Hotels, holds a Master’s degree in Marketing from IE Business School.