The board of Small Animal Hospital, India's largest tertiary care veterinary facility and a cherished project of the late Ratan Tata, has been reconstituted following the exit of his close confidant Mehli Mistry. According to The Times of India, Sanjay Ubale, a former MD of Tata Realty & Infrastructure, and Sheila Mukundan, a doctor and wife of Tata Chemicals MD R Mukundan, have joined the board. The hospital, which cost ₹165 crore to build and is currently losing about ₹1.5 crore a month while operating at a fraction of its capacity, depends on sustained financial backing from its founding promoters — Sir Ratan Tata Trust and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust. Mistry resigned after his reappointment to both trusts was blocked, stating in his resignation letter that he would "prefer not to request funding from a trust with which he is no longer associated."
In a detailed objection filed under Section 22 of the Maharashtra Public Trust Act on June 4, Mehli Mistry has challenged the decision not to renew his tenure as trustee of Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) in late 2025, while making comprehensive allegations regarding governance practices. According to CNBC TV18, Mistry alleges that the decision was arbitrary and inconsistent with the spirit of the resolution adopted after Ratan Tata's death to preserve stability and continuity within the trusts. The petition questions Noel Tata's ₹1.42 crore annual compensation from Tata Sons as of financial year 2024-2025, claiming this commission must be returned to Tata Trusts funds rather than being personally pocketed by the trustee. Mistry also alleges that Venu Srinivasan received payments exceeding ₹20 crore from Tata group entities including Tata Sons, Tata Advanced Systems, Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures and Tata Sikorsky Aerospace over several years, arguing such arrangements warrant closer examination from a fiduciary and governance perspective.
The petition raises broader concerns about governance practices at Tata Trusts, with Mistry alleging that certain trustees benefited from financial arrangements involving Tata group companies while serving as trustees and nominee directors. According to CNBC TV18, Mistry has referred to governance issues relating to Tata Sons, alleging that certain decisions affecting entities closely linked to the trusts were taken without adequate consultation and transparency. A notable aspect of the filing is its reference to a unanimous resolution passed by the trusts in July 2025 supporting an extension of Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran's tenure. Mistry alleges that subsequent actions by some trustees were inconsistent with that position and reflected a departure from previously agreed decisions. The petition also refers to another resolution under which the trusts had resolved to preserve Tata Sons' status as an unlisted company and explore options for providing an exit route to minority shareholder Shapoorji Pallonji Group without pursuing a public listing.
According to CNBC TV18, based on the allegations outlined in the filing, Mistry sought intervention from the Charity Commissioner, including scrutiny of trustee conduct, examination of alleged conflicts of interest and governance practices, and consideration of corrective measures to safeguard the administration of the trust. The petition also seeks the appointment of an independent administrator to oversee the trust's affairs until governance concerns are addressed. According to reports from The Times of India, Tata Trusts has issued notices to petitioner Suresh Tulsiram Patilkhede and his lawyer Katyayani Agarwal, demanding they withdraw allegations of impropriety regarding a 37-year-old transfer of 833 Tata Sons shares. The charitable organisations are seeking ₹1,000 crore in damages for reputational harm and causing distress to the Tata family. The board of Tata Trusts, excluding SRTT, is meeting on Monday to discuss budgets, grant disbursals and other matters.
