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Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, has appointed his daughters, Maya and Leah, to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute
Noel Tata’s daughters appointed to Ratan Tata Institute’s board
Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, has appointed his daughters, Maya and Leah, to the board of trustees of the Sir Ratan Tata Industrial Institute (SRTII). This institute, part of the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, focuses on providing employment opportunities for women.
Maya and Leah Tata will replace outgoing trustees Arnaz Kotwal and Freddy Talati, according to a report by The Economic Times. With this move, Noel Tata’s children now sit on the boards of all the smaller Tata Trusts, though they have not yet been appointed to the two major trusts—the Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Allied Trusts, and the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Allied Trusts.
Noel Tata assumed the role of chairman of Tata Trusts in October 2024. He has three children: Leah, Maya, and Neville.
The appointments have led to an internal rift with Arnaz Kotwal, who expressed his dissatisfaction in a letter to fellow trustees. Kotwal claimed that he was asked to resign to make room for the new appointees and was disheartened by the lack of direct communication from the trustees about the matter. “Since I am now in Dubai and after considerable thought, I have acceded to Burjis’s request but was very saddened that none of you reached out to speak with me directly about this matter,” Kotwal wrote, referring to the request made by Burjis under the direction of CEO Sidharth Sharma.
Kotwal also mentioned that he had resigned on the insistence of Taraporewala, an executive at Tata Trusts, and had received a call from Mehli Mistry, a trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust, regarding the issue. Mistry is also the first cousin of the late Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of Tata Group.
Leah and Maya Tata were appointed as replacements for Freddy Talati, associated with the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), and Arnaz Kotwal, who moved to Dubai and now works with VFS Global.
