Darius Khambata, a prominent senior advocate and a key ally of Tata Trusts chairman Noel Tata, has announced his decision to step down from the boards of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT). His term is set to conclude on November 8. In a four-page letter addressed to Noel Tata and Trusts CEO Siddharth Sharma, dated November 2, Khambata confirmed that he would not seek a reappointment, despite requests from the leadership for him to remain in his position.
Khambata’s departure comes amidst an intensifying period of friction within the organization. In his correspondence, he expressed disappointment regarding the "current divide" between Noel Tata and N Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons. The two trusts are the majority shareholders in Tata Sons, and Khambata emphasized that his independent stance had occasionally placed him at odds with other members of the board. "That independence comes at a cost," he noted in his letter, while explaining his decision to decline a new term.
The exit of the senior lawyer will leave the boards of the trusts with reduced numbers during a particularly sensitive period. The Sir Dorabji Tata Trust will retain five trustees, including Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, Vijay Singh, Neville Tata, and Bhaskar Bhat. The Sir Ratan Tata Trust board will consist of four members: Noel Tata, Srinivasan, Jimmy Tata, and Jehangir H.C. Jehangir. At the latter entity, Khambata's term lapses automatically due to a directive from the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner, which has barred the trust from altering its board or renewing tenures pending an investigation into alleged breaches of public trust law.
In his letter, Khambata reflected on his tenure, specifically defending his past votes concerning the potential listing of Tata Sons and various boardroom disputes. He claimed that his opposition to the listing of Tata Sons, which he described as an "existential" matter for the trusts, had been vindicated by subsequent events. He pointed to a resolution he drafted on July 28, 2025, which reaffirmed the trusts' opposition to a public listing while seeking liquidity solutions for minority shareholders, such as the Shapoorji Pallonji Group.
The letter also addressed the contentious events of September 2026. Khambata referred to the board meeting held on September 17, 2026—where N Chandrasekaran was reappointed as chairman of Tata Sons for another five-year term despite opposition from Noel Tata—as a day that would "live in infamy." He expressed concern that recent developments had negatively impacted the reputation of the Tata group, which he characterized as a "national treasure.”
Khambata, who first joined the trusts in 2014 and briefly resigned in 2016 following the removal of Cyrus Mistry, rejoined the organization in November 2023. Over the past year, he has been a vocal supporter of Noel Tata as friction mounted between the trusts and the Tata Sons board. His departure marks another shift in the leadership composition of the trusts, following the exits of other members like Pramit Jhaveri and the failed reappointment of Mehli Mistry.
Looking ahead, the trusts remain under significant scrutiny regarding their governance and internal cohesion. Khambata noted that his previous support for the trusts' special rights and the duties of nominee directors was grounded in the Supreme Court judgment in the Tata Sons v. Cyrus Mistry case. As he prepares to leave, the remaining trustees face the challenge of reconciling their internal differences while navigating the complex relationship between the trusts and the operating company.
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