Venu Srinivasan Steps Down From Bai Hirabai Trust Amid Eligibility Dispute
Venu Srinivasan has resigned as Trustee of the Bai Hirabai Charitable Trust following objections to his eligibility. The trust operates under the larger Tata Trusts network.
The objections were raised by former Trustee Mehli Mistry, after which Srinivasan stepped down. His appointment had been initiated during the tenure of Ratan Tata after internal consultations. Mistry has filed an affidavit before the Maharashtra Charity Commissioner seeking an inquiry into alleged violations in trustee appointments. He has questioned the eligibility of Srinivasan and Vijay Singh, and has also named Noel Tata in the petition. The dispute relates to the Bai Hirabai Jamsetji Tata Navsari Charitable Institution under the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The trust deed restricts trusteeship to members of the Zoroastrian community. The petition raises concerns over rule violations and calls for regulatory review.
Srinivasan is an industrialist and Chairman Emeritus of TVS Motor Company. He also serves on the Board of Tata Sons, which oversees Tata Consultancy Services, contributing experience in manufacturing, governance, and quality systems. He has served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry and held roles in corporate governance. He has been conferred the Padma Bhushan and earlier the Padma Shri. He is associated with manufacturing systems, governance practices, and long-term institution building across Tata Group companies. An engineering graduate from College of Engineering Guindy with an MBA from Purdue University, he took charge of Sundaram Clayton in 1979 and led the growth of TVS Motor into a major two-wheeler manufacturer. He introduced Total Quality Management practices and guided the company to win the Deming Prize.
