- Friday, January 10, 2025
The appointment of Maya and Leah Tata into the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute has upset Arnaz Kotwal, one of the outgoing trustees
By: India Weekly
THE INDUCTION of Maya and Leah Tata, daughters of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, into the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII), a key subset of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, has sparked controversy, according to media reports.
SRTII is one of the two principal shareholders of Tata Sons, the group holding company. The new appointments is part of the ongoing succession at the group.
Now Noel Tata’s three children – Maya, Leah and Neville – are present on the boards of various Tata Trusts.
The sisters have replaced outgoing trustees Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati, who stepped down to make way for the new appointments.
This transition has upset one of the outgoing trustees – Arnaz Kotwal – who has written to fellow trustees expressing her disapproval at how she was asked to resign to accommodate the incoming members.
The other outgoing trustee, Freddy Talati, is now the chief operating officer of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.
The SRTT board had unanimously approved the appointments. The board comprised of includes Noel Tata, Vijay Singh, Venu Srinivasan, Darius Khambata, Jehangir H. Jehangir, and Mehli Mistry.
The appointments are is seen as a strategic move to prepare the next generation for larger roles within the Tata Group.
Leah Tata is vice president at Indian Hotels Company and handles the Gateway Hotels brand. She is on the boards of the Tata Social Welfare Trust, the Tata Education Trust and the JRD and the Thelma J Tata Trust.
Maya Tata started her career at the Tata Opportunities Fund, a private equity fund within Tata Capital. She serves on the boards of the Tata Education Trust, the RD Tata Trust, and the JRD and Thelma J Tata Trust.
