Tata Trusts inducts Neville Tata, Bhaskar Bhat to Sir Dorabji Tata Trust board, Venu Srinivasan’s tenure revised to 3 yrs

Tata Trusts on Tuesday announced the appointment of Neville Tata, son of chairman Noel Tata, and Bhaskar Bhat, a senior Tata group veteran, to the board of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT). At the same meeting, the board also approved a change to Venu Srinivasan’s tenure, converting his lifetime trusteeship into a three-year term. The decision comes in response to a new Maharashtra government regulation that restricts the number of lifetime trustees in charitable trusts.

The move signifies a key shift in Tata Trusts’ governance structure, aligning the organisation with updated legal norms while underscoring its focus on transparency, regulatory compliance, and a more dynamic leadership model for the future. The Trusts did not offer a comment regarding the potential appointments.

Officials have stated that Neville Tata already serves on the boards of JRD Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust, and RD Tata Trust. There is a possibility that he could be brought onto the board of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), a key trust that, along with the SDTT, holds a controlling interest in Tata Sons. 

Neville Tata, aged 32, holds a business degree from Bayes Business School and began his career at Trent in 2016, initially working in the packaged foods and beverages division. He subsequently took on leadership of Zudio, a value fashion brand operating under the Tata Group umbrella.

In addition to Neville, Bhaskar Bhat is under consideration for induction to the board. Bhat, an alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, began his career in 1978 and later joined the Tata Watch Project, which evolved into Titan. Bhat's 17-year tenure as Titan's managing director, from 2002 to 2019, saw the company expand into new categories such as eyewear, jewellery, fragrances, accessories, and sarees. During this period, Titan's market capitalisation reached roughly $13 billion, making it the Tata Group’s second-largest listed firm at that time.

These possible board changes follow a period of scrutiny and strategic review at Tata Trusts, as external regulatory developments in Maharashtra have posed new challenges for trustee appointments. The Trusts have not issued any statement on how these regulatory factors may influence the ongoing selection process for board members.

Officials have not confirmed whether or when Neville Tata or Bhaskar Bhat will join the Sir Ratan Tata Trust or the main Tata Trusts board. No further information has been made available regarding other potential candidates or the broader criteria for selection under current regulations.