Noel Tata challenges Chandrasekaran's reappointment as Tata Sons chairman, seeks board meeting video

Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata has challenged the resolution to reappoint N Chandrasekaran as chairman of Tata Sons for another five years, news agency PTI reported on Monday. He questioned the validity of the decision taken at the company's September 17 board meeting.

In a letter to Tata Sons company secretary Suprakash Mukhopadhyay on Monday, Noel Tata disputed Chandrasekaran's reappointment beyond February 2027, citing procedural irregularities in how the resolution was brought before the board.

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Noel has termed the resolution void, arguing that Chandrasekaran's reappointment was not included in the original agenda for the September 17 meeting, the news agency reported, citing sources.

He contended that the agenda was limited to a debriefing by the nomination and remuneration committee, and that the reappointment proposal was taken up out of turn.

Noel Tata, who heads Tata Trusts, which owns around two-thirds of Tata Sons, had opposed Chandrasekaran's reappointment during the board meeting.

However, Venu Srinivasan, the other Tata Trusts nominee director on the Tata Sons board, voted in favour of the resolution. Anita George, Harish Manwani and Saurabh Agrawal also supported the proposal, resulting in a 4-1 vote.

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Noel has argued that under Tata Sons' Articles of Association, the resolution required the affirmative vote of Tata Trusts' nominee directors to be valid. The disagreement over the voting requirement is central to his challenge, despite the resolution securing majority support.

In his letter, Noel Tata also demanded an unedited video recording of the September 17 board meeting, sources told the news agency.

Earlier, on September 17, Noel Tata had opposed Chandrasekaran's reappointment, arguing that his August 12 decision not to seek another term beyond February 20, 2027, had already been accepted by Tata Trusts.

"The Group's employees, its lenders, its counterparties and the market have all proceeded upon it. So, has the majority shareholder. The page has turned," Noel had said. He maintained that the decision had attained finality and that Tata Sons should begin the process of appointing a successor. "The Chairman has conveyed his decision; the shareholders have conveyed their acceptance; it is now time to move on," he said.