Outlook Business Desk
Tata Trusts has inducted Neville Tata, son of chairman Noel Tata, and Bhaskar Bhat, the former managing director of Titan Company, into the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) board for a tenure of three years.
The appointments reinforce Noel Tata’s expanding control over Tata Trusts, as his 32-year-old son Neville emerges among the group’s key figures, shaping the family’s long-term presence in the conglomerate.
A Bayes Business School graduate, Neville Tata began his career at Trent in 2016, initially managing packaged foods. He later took charge of Zudio, which has rapidly emerged as one of India’s fastest-growing fashion chains.
Strengthening his credentials, Neville recently completed an MBA from INSEAD Business School, Singapore, underlining his preparation for larger leadership responsibilities within the Tata Group and its trusts.
Neville Tata already serves on the boards of the JRD Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust, and RD Tata Trust, and may later join the Sir Ratan Tata Trust as well.
On the other hand, Bhaskar Bhat, a graduate of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, began his career at Godrej before joining Titan. As managing director from 2002 to 2019, he expanded Titan’s portfolio into a ₹13 billion Tata Group powerhouse.
During Tuesday’s meeting, the board also fixed Venu Srinivasan’s term at three years, following a new Maharashtra government rule that limits lifetime trustees to one-fourth of the total members on the board.
Trustees also gathered at Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Colaba, celebrating Neville Tata’s induction with a cake-cutting ceremony. During the meeting, they also decided to dissolve the executive committee, which earlier included Ratan Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, and former trustee Mehli Mistry.
Meanwhile, the executive committee, earlier formed to fast-track Trust decisions, has been dissolved. According to The Economic Times, with this change, the CEO of Tata Trusts will now report directly to chairman Noel Tata. The move follows Bhaskar Bhat’s induction to the board, signalling more veteran appointments ahead.