Noel Tata Seeks Records on Tata Sons Chairman Reappointment
New Delhi, October 27: Noel Tata has formally questioned the process behind the reappointment of N. Chandrasekaran as executive chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group. He has alleged procedural irregularities and possible conflicts of interest that, according to him, were not adequately examined.
In a letter to company secretary Supraprakash Mukhopadhyay, Noel Tata has demanded a set of records and clarifications within seven days. He contends that the resolution extending Chandrasekaran's term for five years from February 21, 2027, may not be valid.
He points out that the original and revised board agendas made no clear reference to any proposal on reappointing the executive chairman. He says Item 7 was listed as an NRC report or discussion, but a reappointment proposal was tabled under that same item.
According to Noel Tata, the agenda and minutes of the committee meeting were also not shared with directors in advance, a fact he says weakens the transparency of the decision-making process.
He has highlighted the Articles of Association of Tata Sons and asked why the selection committee needed for choosing a chairman was not formed. He maintains that the company's rules required the approval of certain directors, and that this requirement was not met.
Noel Tata has also objected to the company secretary certifying the resolution and filing it with the Registrar of Companies before the board meeting's final minutes were completed.
His letter seeks the original audio-video recording of the September 17 board meeting, its transcript, the final minutes, each director's voting record, and a complete audit trail of changes to board documents.
The matter also involves Hano One Warehousing. Noel Tata has asked whether Chandrasekaran's wife and son are directors of the company, and whether this information was provided to the Tata Sons board before the reappointment was taken up.
He has additionally questioned the role of Venu Srinivasan, chairman emeritus of TVS Motor and a member of Tata Sons' Nomination and Remuneration Committee. Noel Tata says Srinivasan took part in discussions on September 3 and voted, and argues that he should have considered disclosing the alleged business ties and recusing himself.
The questions over leadership and administrative procedures come at a time when the Tata Group is already under scrutiny, and they may further intensify discussions on corporate governance. Tata Sons has not yet publicly responded to these allegations.