Mumbai, 15 May 2026: An email was received late evening today, forwarding a direction issued by the Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra State, Mumbai, to the Board of Trustees of Tata Trusts to defer the meeting of the Board of Trustees scheduled for 16 May, 2026.
The direction was issued ex-parte with reference to a complaint dated 18 April 2026 by one Ms. Katyayani Agrawal (which was in respect of only Sir Ratan Tata Trust); (ii) a representation / complaint dated 28 April 2026 from Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Trustee of Sir Ratan Tata Trust; and (iii) the order dated 13 May 2026 of the Hon’ble Bombay High Court in Writ Petition (L) No. 16647/2026, relating to Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Given these facts, we understand that the direction issued is only in respect of Sir Ratan Tata Trust. It is reiterated that the direction was issued ex parte, with no notice being given to the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and no hearing being afforded to it, before the direction was issued.
Ms. Katyayani Agrawal’s complaint relates to the composition of the Board of Trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and alleges that three out of six trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust, being permanent in nature, are in contravention of Section 30A(2) of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act, 1950 (introduced vide the Maharashtra Public Trusts (Second) Amendment Act of 2025), which prescribes that the perpetual or life trustees shall not exceed one-fourth of the total number of trustees of a public trust.
It is the understanding of the Tata Trusts that the said amendment is prospective in nature and does not affect the appointments of perpetual trustees made prior to its coming into force on 1st September 2025. This is substantiated by both opinions and clarifications obtained by the Tata Trusts.
It may be pertinent to mention that the Hon'ble Bombay High Court, on 13 May 2026, disposed of the aforementioned writ petition No. 16647/ 2026 as withdrawn. That petition had sought a direction restraining the same meeting of the Board of Trustees of Sir Ratan Tata Trust, on the basis of the complaint filed by Ms. Katyayani Agrawal.
Sir Ratan Tata Trust was not aware of any complaint having been filed by Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Trustee, until the receipt of directions from the Charity Commissioner today. Mr. Venu Srinivasan had previously acknowledged the notice of the Board meeting originally scheduled to be held on 8 May, 2026 and the notice of the meeting rescheduled to 16 May, 2026.
The directions received from the Office of Charity Commissioner are being examined by the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
Established in 1892, the Tata Trusts are India’s oldest and amongst Asia's largest philanthropic institutions. They have played a pioneering role in bringing about an enduring difference in the lives of the communities they serve, advancing equity, resilience, and shared progress. Inspired by the vision of the Founder Jamsetji Tata and guided by a legacy of proactive philanthropy, the Tata Trusts work to catalyse systemic and sustainable change across diverse areas by building institutions, strengthening public systems, and accelerating socio-economic development in a wide variety of areas- healthcare; nutrition; education; water, sanitation and hygiene; urban and rural livelihoods, amongst others. The Trusts build meaningful solutions, bridging tradition and innovation, through collaborations that nurture grassroots efforts, empower change makers, and touch lives across India.
For more information please visit: www.tatatrusts.org
