Tata Trusts to Seek Relaxation of Restrictive Clauses on Trustee Eligibility
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Tata Trusts Moves to Amend Restrictive Clauses in 100-Year-Old Trust Deed
Tata Trusts announced on Sunday that the trustees of the Bai Hirabai Trust have decided to initiate proceedings before an appropriate authority to amend restrictive clauses in its trust deed, including those barring non-Zoroastrians from serving as trustees. This decision comes after a complaint by Mehli Mistry, a former trustee of Tata Trusts, to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner challenging the appointments of veteran industrialist Venu Srinivasan and former defence secretary Vijay Singh to the board of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (Bai Hirabai Trust).
The development follows a complaint by Mehli Mistry, a former trustee of Tata Trusts, to the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner challenging the appointments of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh to the board of the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (Bai Hirabai Trust). Mistry had alleged that Srinivasan and Singh did not meet the criteria laid out in the trust deed, including requirements related to practising the Parsi Zoroastrian faith and residency in Mumbai.
The controversy began earlier this month when Srinivasan, a trustee of Tata Trusts, resigned from the Bai Hirabai Trust citing other business commitments, but later acknowledged stepping down at the request of Tata Trusts management. In a statement, Tata Trusts said the Board of Trustees of the Bai Hirabai Trust met on April 17, 2026 under the chairmanship of Noel N Tata, Chairman, Tata Trusts.
The trustees reviewed the activities of the Bai Hirabai Trust and discussed recent media reports concerning the trust. In a statement, Tata Trusts said the trustees have decided to adopt proceedings before the appropriate authority for alteration of restrictive clauses in respect of eligibility of trustees. The trustees emphasized that Tata ethos have always been inclusive, secular, and focused on philanthropy and national service.
| Eligibility Criteria | Bai Hirabai Trust | Sir Ratan Tata Trust | Sir Dorabji Tata Trust | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Zoroastrian faith | Required | Not Required | Not Required | | Residency in Mumbai | Required | Not Required | Not Required |
Tata Trusts noted that the Bai Hirabai Trust was created under the 1916 Codicil to the will of Sir Ratan Tata, who died in 1918, and that the Codicil did not impose restrictions based on ethnicity, race, or religion. It added that trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust were also to serve as trustees of the Bai Hirabai Trust.
In 2015, the trust's objectives were expanded to include the general public as beneficiaries. Tata Trusts acknowledged that the Trust Deed made in 1923 by the then trustees, contained restrictive clauses that prohibited non-Zoroastrians from being trustees of the Bai Hirabai Trust. These provisions imposed restrictions not provided for by Sir Ratan Tata's Codicil.
The trustees also reiterated their confidence in Chief Executive Officer Siddharth Sharma and his leadership. Sharma had come under scrutiny after reports suggested he had asked Srinivasan and Singh to step down from the Bai Hirabai Trust board at Noel Tata's request following objections raised by Mehli Mistry.
