Tata Trusts to Review Vijay Singh Remuneration Following Auditor Observation

As per news report, Tata Trusts pursued legal validation regarding trustee Vijay Singh’s remuneration from Tata Sons after an audit flagged concerns on payment governance. A legal opinion subsequently confirmed no breach of regulations or trust norms. 

Legal Opinion Validates Vijay Singh’s Remuneration 

Following an objection raised by auditors in May 2025, Tata Trusts obtained a legal opinion regarding the ₹20.13 crore remunerations accrued by trustee Vijay Singh between 2013–14 and 2024–25.  

Senior advocate Percy Pardiwala concluded that commissions and payments made to Singh were legally compliant and did not breach any nominee-director obligations or trust rules. 

The remuneration was primarily received during his tenure on the Tata Sons board and across various Tata group aerospace and defence entities. 

Focus of Auditor’s Concern and Trustee Communication 

The query arose over whether Singh’s earnings from Tata Sons as a nominee director should have been remitted to Tata Trusts. A communication dated May 28, 2025, from Dilip J Thakkar, a partner at Jayantilal Thakkar & Co, suggested such payments belonged to the Trusts.  

This view prompted Tata Trusts to seek legal input, which ultimately supported Singh’s entitlement to retain the income personally. 

Details of Singh’s Earnings Across Tata Group Companies 

Between 2013–14 and 2024–25, Singh earned ₹15.89 crore from Tata Sons, primarily through commissions. His annual compensation increased progressively, totalling ₹2.8 crore in 2022–23, ₹3 crore in 2023–24 and ₹3.2 crore in 2024–25.  

From Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, Singh earned ₹3.52 crore, while his income from Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Ltd and Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Ltd stood at ₹31 lakh and ₹41 lakh, respectively. 

Read More: Tata Power Aims to Finalise ₹6,500 Crore Wafer-Ingot Project by January, Says CEO Praveer Sinha! 

Internal Differences Among Trustees Surface 

This remuneration episode highlighted existing divisions within the board of Tata Trusts. Singh lost his nominee director role on Tata Sons when 4 of the 7 trustees opposed his continuation. Despite this, he remains on the Tata Trusts board.  

Another trustee, Mehli Mistry, stepped down after his reappointment faced opposition from other board members including Chairman Noel Tata and Venu Srinivasan. Notably, Srinivasan has reportedly not accepted any payment or commission from Tata group companies thus far. 

Conclusion 

The legal opinion confirmed Vijay Singh's earnings were in line with regulations, providing closure on concerns raised by auditors. However, the internal trustee disagreements indicate differing perspectives on governance within the Trusts. 

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