Business EconomyPosted at: Sep 30 2026 7:46PM


Tata Sons shareholder Sir Dorabji Trust to file caveat with Maha Charity Commissioner

Bobby Anthony
Mumbai, Sep 30 (UNI) The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), which is one among the Tata Trusts headed by Chairman Noel Tata, is in the process of filing a caveat with the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra’s office after a complaint by trustee Venu Srinivasan, sources said.
The development comes after trustee Venu Srinivasan filed a complaint with the Charity Commissioner on Tuesday, alleging “illegal and irregular appointment of perpetual trustees and serious governance lapses” at the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
A caveat is a filing with the concerned judicial authority that requests the authority to not take any action without informing the applicant (Sir Dorabji Tata Trust) and giving it a chance to place its version of the case before the court.
Earlier this year, a similar caveat was also filed with the Charity Commissioner after complaints regarding the issue of perpetual trustees at Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) and governance lapses at the trust.
The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) has also filed a caveat in the Bombay High Court after a writ petition, which raised similar concerns.
Trustee Venu Srinivasan’s complaint has questioned Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata’s status as a perpetual trustee, the appointment of his son Neville Tata to the trust and Srinivasan's exclusion from decision-making by the trust.
In his complaint, Srinivasan has requested the Charity Commissioner to investigate the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust’s (SDTT) administration as well as its composition.
Venu Srinivasan has raised the issue of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust’s (SDTT) involvement in Tata Sons’ commercial affairs.
More importantly, Srinivasan’s complaint has alleged that the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust’s (SDTT) participation in transactions involving Tata Sons and attempts to influence its nominee director’s voting could breach charitable and fiduciary obligations.
Venu Srinivasan has sought directions restricting such involvement by the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and maintaining the status quo, pending an inquiry.
Srinivasan has sought a direction that the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) maintains the status quo on its board and refrains from holding meetings or passing circular resolutions on its administration, management or composition until the inquiry is completed.
In his letter to the Charity Commissioner on Tuesday, Srinivasan has argued that the Trusts’ substantial shareholding in Tata Sons should not translate into the charitable institutions themselves assuming the functions of a commercial enterprise.
Venu Srinivasan has raised potential tax consequences, arguing that the trusts need to ensure that their activities remain within the framework governing registered non-profit organisations.
He has stated that Section 345 of the Income-tax Act, 2025 permits a registered non-profit organisation to undertake commercial activities which are incidental to its objectives, provided separate books of account are maintained.
He has stated in his letter that Section 346 sets additional conditions for organisations advancing an object of general public utility, including a ceiling of 20% of total receipts for such commercial activities and a requirement to maintain separate accounts.
Venu Srinivasan has argued in his letter that the nature of the activities he has cited in his complaint raises questions about compliance with these provisions and could therefore have implications for the trust’s charitable status and assets.
However, the tax position has an important qualification following the Finance Act 2026. While Section 346 continues to impose the 20% limit and other conditions, the Parliament removed the reference to Section 346 from Section 351’s definition of a 'specified violation' from April 1, 2026.
A breach of Section 346, therefore, no longer carries the same automatic registration-cancellation consequence under Section 351 that existed in the original version of the 2025 Act.
Yet, Srinivasan has argued in his complaint that the scale of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust’s (SDTT) shareholding in Tata Sons makes the issue significant for the trust’s charitable corpus.
Venu Srinivasan has also raised the issue of Tata Chairman Noel Tata's son Neville Tata’s induction into the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) had announced in November 2025 that its board had unanimously approved the induction of Neville Tata and Bhaskar Bhat as trustees for three years from November 12, 2026.
The same meeting also appointed Venu Srinivasan as a trustee for three years and designated him vice chairman.
Venu Srinivasan’s latest complaint has questioned the circumstances in which Tata Chairman Noel Tata's son Neville Tata was inducted into the trust and alleged that Srinivasan was excluded from the process.
The issue is particularly significant because Neville is Noel Tata’s son and Venu Srinivasan had objected Neville's proposed induction into the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), although his appointment to SDTT was approved in November 2025.
UNI BA RN
Tags: #Tata Sons shareholder Sir Dorabji Trust to file caveat with Maha Charity Commissioner
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Bobby Anthony
Mumbai, Sep 30 (UNI) The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT), which is one among the Tata Trusts headed by Chairman Noel Tata, is in the process of filing a caveat with the Charity Commissioner of Maharashtra’s office after a complaint by trustee Venu Srinivasan, sources said.
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