Mehli Mistry steps down from Tata Trusts, cites need to protect legacy and reputation

Mumbai: Bringing an end to weeks of speculation, Mehli Mistry, former trustee of the Tata Trusts, has formally severed ties with the Tata group, as per media reports.

In a letter addressed to all trustees of the Tata Trusts, including Chairman Noel Tata, Mistry confirmed his departure and emphasised his desire to uphold the principles and legacy of Ratan N Tata.

He wrote that his commitment to Ratan Tata’s vision “includes a responsibility to ensure that the Tata Trusts are not plunged into controversy and that precipitating matters would cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the Tata Trusts.”

“Therefore, in the spirit of Mr Ratan N. Tata, who always put public interest before his own, I hope that the actions of the other trustees going forward will be guided by the principles of transparency, good governance, and public interest,” Mistry added. “I part ways with a quote that Mr Ratan N. Tata used to say to me: ‘Nobody is bigger than the institution it serves.’”

Mistry’s term as trustee formally ended on October 27 this year. A Board of Trustees resolution passed on October 17, 2023 had proposed his reappointment as a lifetime trustee. However, the proposal failed to gain unanimous support, as three trustees reportedly withheld approval for his reappointment to two key bodies — the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.

In anticipation of potential changes, Mistry had filed a pre-emptive caveat with the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, seeking the right to be heard before any alterations were made to the list of trustees.

With his letter, Mistry has now put an official end to the uncertainty surrounding his position, formally marking his exit from the Tata Trusts, one of India’s most influential philanthropic institutions.

ANI