Sitharaman urges Tata leadership to settle dispute privately
The Finance Minister called for an amicable resolution between Tata Sons and Tata Trusts to protect the economy.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has called on the leadership of the Tata Group to resolve the dispute between Tata Sons and its largest shareholder, Tata Trusts, through private discussion. Speaking at the Financial Express Leadership Awards 2026 on Monday, Sitharaman described the matter as a "very delicate matter" that should not be discussed in public, according to the Times of India.
The Finance Minister stated that resolving the issue would require business acumen and cordiality. She noted that the Tata Group is a critical component of the Indian economy and expressed hope that the leadership would settle the differences soon to restore normalcy.
The dispute involves the Tata Sons board, led by chairman N Chandrasekaran, and Tata Trusts, headed by Noel Tata. Tensions became public during a Tata Sons board meeting on September 17, where the board decided to proceed with a listing and reappointed Chandrasekaran as chairman.
During that meeting, Noel Tata was the only director to vote against the decisions, while Tata Trusts nominee director Venu Srinivasan voted with the majority. The meeting followed a decision by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) to reject Tata Sons' request to deregister as a core investment company.
Sitharaman declined to comment on whether the government would intervene to bring the two sides to the negotiating table, calling the matter sensitive. She also acknowledged the contribution of the Parsi community in building the Tata brand into a global entity.