Venu Srinivasan resigns from the Bai Hirabai Charitable Trust, citing increased professional responsibilities
Mehli Mistry challenges trustee appointments of Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, citing alleged violations of trust deed eligibility rules
The dispute, involving Noel Tata and institutions under Tata Trusts, centers on governance, eligibility norms, and internal tensions
Venu Srinivasan, Vice Chairman of seven Tata Group Trusts and Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor, resigned from the Bai Hirabai Charitable Trust on Saturday, citing increasing demands from his other business responsibilities.
His exit comes amid an ongoing legal dispute initiated by former trustee Mehli Mistry, who has challenged the eligibility of Srinivasan and fellow trustee Vijay Singh to continue serving on the trust’s board.
1 April 2026
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Mistry has filed an affidavit before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner. He is seeking a probe into alleged irregularities at a trust affiliate.
He has challenged the appointments of Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh as vice-chairmen. Mistry argued that their non-Parsi background makes them ineligible under the trust’s rules. The petition also names Chairman Noel Tata along with other trustees.
The petition relates to the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution, an affiliate of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. Mistry pointed to provisions in the trust deed dated December 1923, which require all trustees to be Zoroastrians and prohibit the inclusion of non-Parsis.
He contended that these rules were breached in the recent appointments, raising concerns over how individuals who do not meet the eligibility criteria could serve as trustees.
The trust at the heart of the dispute, the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution (BHJTNCI), dates back to 1923. As per the Tata Trusts website, it operates as a philanthropic body dedicated to the welfare of the Parsi community in Navsari, Gujarat, with a focus on sectors such as education and healthcare.
It is part of the allied Tata Trusts network and shares its Board of Trustees with the Sir Ratan Tata Trust.
This is not the first instance of Mehli Mistry raising governance concerns within the Tata Trusts framework. In February 2026, during his tenure as a trustee of the Tata Education and Development Trust (TEDT), he had objected to a separate proposal, the removal of the Vice-Chairman role across Tata Trusts, contending that no such position is outlined in the Trust Deed.
The dispute escalated after Mistry’s reappointment to the two trusts was rejected by a group of trustees led by chairman Noel Tata. The group included current vice-chairman Vijay Singh, former defence secretary, and TVS Motor chairman emeritus Venu Srinivasan.
Srinivasan’s exit from the Bai Hirabai Charitable Trust introduces a new layer to the continuing internal strains within the Tata Trusts framework.
