Tata Trusts inducts Neville Tata, Bhaskar Bhat to board
New Delhi: In a significant governance reshuffle, Tata Trusts has inducted Neville Tata, son of chairman Noel Tata, and group veteran Bhaskar Bhat to the board of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT).
The decision, announced in an official statement, also revised trustee Venu Srinivasan’s tenure from a life term to three years, in line with a Maharashtra government directive that limits the number of lifetime trustees—a change seen as reshaping Tata Trusts’ governance framework.
The appointment of 32-year-old Neville Tata marks a further consolidation of the younger genera-tion’s presence in the Tata philanthropic and business ecosystem. A graduate of Bayes Business School, Neville joined Trent Ltd in 2016, where he initially managed the packaged foods and bever-ages segment before leading Zudio, the value fashion brand that has become one of India’s fast-est-growing apparel chains.
Neville currently serves on the boards of the JRD Tata Trust, Tata Social Welfare Trust, and RD Tata Trust, and is also likely to be inducted into the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT). Together, SDTT and SRTT hold a controlling stake of over 51 per cent in Tata Sons, the Tata Group’s holding company.
Bhaskar Bhat, 71, brings decades of experience and deep familiarity with the Tata Group’s con-sumer-facing businesses. An alumnus of IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad, Bhat started his career at Godrej & Boyce in 1978 before joining the Tata Watch Project, which evolved into Titan Company. As Titan’s managing director from 2002 to 2019, he oversaw its transformation into a diversified lifestyle company, expanding into jewellery, eyewear, fragrances, accessories, and sarees. Under his leadership, Titan’s market capitalisation grew to about $13 billion, making it one of the Tata Group’s largest listed firms.
Founded in 1892, the Tata Trusts are among India’s oldest and Asia’s largest philanthropic organisa-tions. Guided by the vision of founder Jamsetji Tata, the Trusts have long focused on creating en-during social impact by promoting equity, resilience, and sustainable development.
Through their initiatives, the Trusts work across sectors such as healthcare, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and livelihoods—strengthening public systems, nurturing institutions, and empowering grassroots changemakers to drive transformative change across India.
