Abhishek Manu Singhvi opens up on being appointed as an advocate for Tata Trusts

Sep 20, 2026

DESCRIPTION: New Delhi, 20 Sept 2026 (ANI): On being appointed as an advocate for Tata Trusts, Senior Advocate and Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi says, "With the Tata Group and Ratan Tata—being aware of the legacy of that group, personally knowing the principal actors on both sides of this current Tata dispute, and having genuine, deep, and abiding respect and good equations with both sides—my first reaction is one of sadness as to how this could not be settled amicably. But now, as I am professionally engaged to lead on one side, I must also say that in the ultimate analysis, the fundamental rights, the basic rights of shareholder-owners, cannot, unfortunately, be nullified in the manner in which they have been. Because to stultify shareholder rights would, in a sense, on principle, spell doomsday for thousands or millions of shareholder-owned companies or companies owned by groups of shareholders. Furthermore, to stymie intra-trust decision-making through a very sudden, inexplicable, and mysterious fetter and hold put by the Charity Commissioner seems very strange and wrong to me. Rupturing the over 100-year-old established, hyphenated relationship between Tata Trusts and Tata Sons, and trying to divorce one from the other, seems unthinkable to me. Then again, ignoring the unvarying precondition of unanimity in trust decision-making and voting—and ignoring clear veto provisions—seems unjustified to me. Sadly, the Supreme Court judgment in the Tata–Mistry case, where I also had the privilege of appearing—which clearly gave Tata Trusts primacy in its relationship with Tata Sons and specifically upheld the special articles in that regard within the Articles of Association of Tata Sons—seems to have been selectively forgotten. Unfortunately, with the absence of collegiality and conviviality, I think the only answer will be in the courts, which alone can find solutions. But I still feel saddened by it."