Noel Tata, son file caveat against Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh and other trustees

Noel Tata and his son Neville have reportedly filed a caveat against fellow SDTT trustees. The move seeks to secure a hearing amid questions over his appointment and authority.

In Short

• Noel Tata and son Neville Tata file caveat against Tata Trusts trustees
• Caveat aims to protect their interests amid dispute over Noel's trustee role
• Venu Srinivasan challenges Noel Tata's appointment and chairmanship

Noel Tata and his son Neville have filed a caveat petition in the Mumbai City Civil Court against fellow trustees of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), including Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, amid the ongoing dispute over Noel Tata's position and authority within the Tata Trusts structure, reported The Economic Times.

According to the report, Noel Tata approached the court on October 7, 2026. The caveat names Srinivasan, Singh, Darius Khambata and Bhaskar Bhat, among other SDTT trustees.

A caveat is a preventive legal filing that seeks to ensure that a court does not pass an order or grant relief against the person filing it without first giving them an opportunity to be heard.

Legal experts cited in the report said the filing is intended to safeguard the interests of Noel and Neville Tata in the event that the other trustees approach the court seeking relief against them.

The latest filing comes amid a widening dispute within the Tata Trusts over Noel Tata's appointment, his role as a perpetual trustee and his position as chairman of the trusts.

WHAT IS THE TATA TRUSTS DISPUTE?

As per the report, Venu Srinivasan has sought scrutiny of Noel Tata's appointment and continued role as a perpetual trustee, as well as the basis on which he assumed and continues to hold the chairmanship of Tata Trusts.

Srinivasan has also sought restrictions on Noel Tata's participation and voting in SDTT decisions relating to the appointment or instructions of Tata Sons nominees, representatives or proxies, the report said.

The dispute has brought the governance and decision-making structure of the charitable trusts that control a majority stake in Tata Sons into focus.

The latest caveat filing follows an earlier move by Tata Trusts, excluding SDTT, to file 84 caveats before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner under Sections 41D, 41E and 67 of the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act. The filings were aimed at ensuring that the trusts were heard before any orders were passed in matters concerning them, ET reported.

The development also comes after an earlier ET report said Noel Tata and SDTT had been given until October 19 to respond to a complaint filed by Srinivasan and Singh.

Noel Tata chairs Tata Trusts, which collectively hold a 66% stake in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.

The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust together hold a 51.54% stake in Tata Sons, according to ET. The positions taken by trustees of these trusts therefore have implications for the governance of the group holding company.

The caveat itself does not amount to a court ruling on the dispute over Noel Tata's appointment or authority. It is a procedural step intended to ensure that the person filing it gets an opportunity to be heard before any order is passed against them.

- Ends