22 September,2026 01:46 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar. File Pic
Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Tuesday waded into the Tata Sons leadership row, calling for the Tata Group's trust-led ownership structure and philanthropic legacy to be protected.
Highlighting the group's foundational ethos established by Jamsetji Tata and carried forward by Sir Dorabji Tata and Sir Ratan Tata, Pawar said in a statement that the primary vision of the industrial conglomerate was to ensure that wealth generated through business activities was channelled towards social welfare, IANS reported.
Under this structure, majority ownership in Tata Sons was entrusted to philanthropic trusts rather than concentrated in individual hands, he said.
Major charitable entities, including Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, collectively hold approximately 66 per cent of the equity in Tata Sons. Dividends from this majority stake support sectors including public health, education, research and rural livelihoods.
Pawar said Maharashtra is home to a significant part of this legacy, with institutions of national importance established with support from the Tata trusts, including Tata Memorial Hospital, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) and the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), IANS reported.
He said any erosion of the trusts' role could have a direct impact on such institutions.
Referring to the Tata Sons board meeting on September 17, Pawar highlighted the 4-1 vote in favour of a five-year continuation of Executive Chairman N Chandrasekaran and the move towards listing Tata Sons on stock exchanges. Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata voted against the proposals, while nominee director Venu Srinivasan voted in favour.
Pawar said the company's Articles of Association provide special rights to directors nominated by Tata Trusts and argued that the September 17 resolution was therefore not legally valid. Tata Trusts has separately made the same argument, stating that its Articles require affirmative support from a majority of its nominee directors and that the 4-1 overall board vote did not satisfy that condition.
Pawar stressed that decisions concerning top corporate leadership should respect the rights granted to Tata Trusts' nominee directors. He said disputes over leadership should be resolved through constructive dialogue and lawful corporate processes rather than contentious conflict, the news agency reported.
He also referred to the Supreme Court's earlier recognition of the special consent rights of Tata Trusts' nominee directors.
Pawar said adherence to corporate governance standards, respect for internal bylaws and preservation of the trust-led ownership structure were fundamental to maintaining public trust.
In his post on X, Pawar said Jamsetji Tata and the Tata family had given industry a value-based direction centred on social service.
He said the social commitment and institutional role of the Tata Trusts should be preserved, adding that leadership decisions must respect institutional processes and the role of the trusts.
Pawar said preserving the legacy of the Tata Group was important not only to Maharashtra's development but also to the country's broader progress and social life.
(With IANS inputs)
