Noel, Ratan's ally Mehli Mistry at loggerheads over board seat
A recent Tata Trusts board meeting exposed a split over nominating Mehli Mistry to the Tata Sons board.
Mistry, who's close to Ratan Tata, felt let down by Noel Tata for not backing him this time—even though Mistry had supported Noel in the past.
The disagreement came up while discussing whether Vijay Singh should stay on as nominee director, revealing how divided the trustees are about who should represent them in big decisions at Tata Sons.
Trustees need to reach a consensus on the future direction
Trustee Darius Khambata argued they need a "more forceful voice" on the Tata Sons board and saw Mistry as their best shot, especially with major moves like company listings coming up.
Others, like Noel Tata and Venu Srinivasan, preferred keeping Singh for his steady leadership during tough times.
When Singh wasn't reappointed and resigned, it highlighted just how much the trustees need to get on the same page about their future direction.