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The Bombay High Court on Thursday declined to grant an urgent hearing to a petition seeking a stay on the highly anticipated board meetings of the Tata Trusts scheduled for May 8. The court’s decision clears the way for the Trusts to deliberate on critical governance issues, including its representation on the board of Tata Sons.

The petition, filed by Suresh Patilkhede, alleged that the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT) violates a 2025 amendment to the Maharashtra Public Trusts Act. This amendment caps the number of lifetime or perpetual trustees at 25% of the total board. The petitioner argued that currently, three out of the six SRTT trustees, including Noel Tata, Jimmy Tata, and Jehangir Jehangir, hold perpetual status, exceeding the legal limit.

No Urgent Intervention

Senior Advocate Janak Dwarkadas, representing Tata Trusts, informed the bench that the matter had already been mentioned on Wednesday and was found to lack urgency. The bench, led by the Chief Justice, concurred, noting that once the court had determined there was no immediate urgency, it could not be re-mentioned for the same relief.

The court directed the petitioner to approach the vacation bench if any immediate relief was still sought. The Trusts had already filed a caveat earlier this week to ensure their side was heard before any adverse orders were passed.

High Stakes for Tata Sons

The Friday meetings are considered a turning point for the $165-billion conglomerate. On the agenda is a review of the Trusts' nominee directors on the board of Tata Sons.

Internal rifts have reportedly intensified over the continuation of Venu Srinivasan as a nominee. Sources indicate that the board may consider replacing him with Bhaskar Bhat, the former Managing Director of Titan. The outcome of these meetings is expected to signal the future direction of the relationship between the charitable trusts and the group's holding company.