In a major change in the Tata ecosystem, Mehli Mistry, one of the late Ratan Tata’s closest confidants and long-time associates, has resigned from the board of RNT Associates, the family investment office that he started with his family in 2009. His removal comes at a time when speculation about the future of Tata Group management and the management of the company is high.
On June 30, Mistry told the board that he was stepping down because of other professional obligations.
"Owing to my preoccupation with my other commitments, I hereby submit my resignation from the position of Director of RNT Associates Pvt. Ltd., effective from July 1, 2026," Mistry wrote in the letter addressed to the company's board of directors.
While Mistry was removed from the position, Ratan Tata’s sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy continue to be directors at RNT Associates. The other board members are Jamsheed Poncha, a senior executive at Tata Sons, and Sidharth Sharma, Tata Sons’ General Counsel.
RNT Associates was established in 2009 to manage the personal investments and philanthropic interests of Ratan Tata. The investment office has backed many startups and new businesses and handled the industrialist's private investment over the years.
Mistry is regarded as one of Ratan Tata’s trusted confidants. He had always kept a low profile but played a key role behind-the-scenes in several of Tata’s business and philanthropic projects. Mistry was far less publicized than most in the corporate world and still was well-liked for his mild manner.
His departure comes at a time when there are growing reports of conflict in the Tata Group and its future direction. Management experts said there is ongoing debate about governance and succession planning and in fact the strategic direction of the group and media reports have indicated that there are differences between Noel Tata and N. Chandrasekaran. But neither Tata Sons nor the people involved in the dispute have voiced themselves to be aware that there is any power struggle in the Tata group.
With the timing of the removal, the Mistry episode will only heighten speculation about the balance of power within Tata. But those familiar with his working style say he has always avoided public controversy and is unlikely to have intended his resignation to be viewed through the lens of internal corporate politics.
However, despite being removed from RNT Associates, Mistry is still on the board of Tata Education and Development Trust, one of the largest and most influential charitable organizations of Tata Trusts. His continuing involvement with the philanthropic arm of the Tata ecosystem indicates that his departure is limited to RNT Associates and does not necessarily mean a complete disengagement from Tata-linked institutions.
One of Ratan Tata's closest friends for decades, Mehli Mistry's ouster is surely the end of an important chapter for RNT Associates. His resignation letter is a personal one, but the next step in terms of the next phase of Tata group management and the future direction of the company cannot be ruled out.
We note that there are claims of internal differences or power struggle within the Tata group that have been made by the media but not yet confirmed by Tata Sons or the individuals involved.
