Tata Trusts’ Vijay Singh Steps Down from Tata Sons Board

Tata Trusts vice-chairman Vijay Singh (77) has abruptly resigned from Tata Sons' board of directors, just one day before the holding company's directors were scheduled to meet. The move comes as Tata Sons faces an RBI-mandated deadline to launch its initial public offering (IPO), according to reports.

Tata Trusts, through its two key arms, the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, owns approximately 52% of Tata Sons, the parent company of the USD 165 billion Tata Group, which includes businesses ranging from aviation to automobiles.

Key Highlights

• Vijay Singh, aged 77, resigned ahead of a tata-sons directors meeting amid board appointment disputes. 
• Four trustees opposed his reappointment based on age-linked renewal rule, triggering leadership and governance tensions.

Singh has been serving as Tata Trusts' nominee director on the Tata Sons board and will continue to be a trustee of Tata Trusts. His resignation is unexpected because nominee directors of Tata Trusts, unlike other Tata Sons directors, are not required to retire at a certain age. Executive directors are currently eligible to retire at 65, non-executive directors at 70, and independent directors at 75.

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TV Narendran is likely to join the Tata Sons board

TV Narendran, Tata Steel's global CEO and managing director, is expected to join the Tata Sons board as a group representative, according to senior executives.

The 60-year-old recently met with Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran at Bombay House to discuss the appointment.The move would strengthen Tata Steel's representation in the group's apex body, as Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts and current Tata Sons director, also serves as Tata Steel's vice-chairman.

Narendran's potential entry comes at a time of turmoil on the Tata Sons board. Ralf Speth, former CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, stepped down this month at the age of 70 after serving on the board since October 2016, when Cyrus Mistry was removed. Independent director Leo Puri resigned in April, and veteran industrialist Ajay Piramal stepped down in August after reaching the age of 70. These departures have created three vacancies on the board.

Tata Sons' board is made up of a mix of executive, non-executive, and independent directors, with strict retirement age limits: executives are 65, non-executives are 70, and independents are 75. Insiders believe Narendran, who has spent over three decades with the Tata Group and played a key role in Tata Steel's global expansion, is a natural fit for the board.