Mehli Mistry, who was recently removed from the influential Tata Trusts board after disagreements with key trustees, has now exited another major institution linked to the Tata legacy. He has stepped down from the governing council of Mumbai’s National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA), one of the country’s most prestigious cultural establishments. According to people familiar with the development, he has been replaced by Vijay Singh, a trustee of the Tata Trusts, reported Moneycontrol.
Until recently, Mistry served on the NCPA council as the nominee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, representing it alongside fellow Tata Trusts nominees Jehangir H. Jehangir and Pramit Jhaveri. His departure from the council closely follows his removal from the Tata Trusts board in December, signalling the loss of yet another key institutional position for someone long regarded as part of the inner circle of the Tata philanthropic ecosystem.
The NCPA council continues to include several prominent names, such as Chairman and Member-in-Charge K. N. Suntook, Vice Chairman Noel Tata, Brinda Kahtau, and representatives of the Maharashtra state government. The National Centre for Performing Arts—conceived under the leadership of J. R. D. Tata and inaugurated in 1970—was founded as a world-class home for Indian and global performing arts. Over five decades later, it remains one of the country’s most important cultural hubs, with the Tata Trusts historically serving as its primary institutional backers.
Emails sent to Mehli Mistry, Vijay Singh, the NCPA and the Tata Trusts seeking comment did not receive responses at the time of publication. However, the timing of the exit has drawn attention because it comes so soon after Mistry was forced to leave the Tata Trusts. His reappointment there was blocked by a group of trustees—including Noel Tata, Vijay Singh and Venu Srinivasan—after which Mistry stepped down rather than remain in a disputed position.
The Tata Trusts collectively hold the controlling share in Tata Sons, making them the most powerful body in the governance of India’s largest business conglomerate. Mistry’s removal generated buzz because of his long personal and professional association with the late Ratan Tata. Soon after leaving the Trusts, Mistry also resigned from the board of the Small Animal Hospital Trust, a veterinary-care initiative created by Ratan Tata. In his resignation, he conveyed that continuing in the role would not be appropriate once he was no longer part of the Tata Trusts.
His resignation from the NCPA council now marks his exit from three major Tata-linked institutions in rapid succession. For decades, Mistry had been regarded as a trusted aide of Ratan Tata. He served across multiple philanthropic bodies and cultural organisations supported by the Trusts and often represented the Tata ecosystem in both strategic and charitable activities.
Following Ratan Tata’s passing last year, a rapid restructuring of the Trusts’ governance began under the chairmanship of Noel Tata. This led to a reassessment of trustee roles and the consolidation of leadership. It was during this transition that the decision not to renew Mistry’s trusteeship was made.
With his departure from the NCPA now confirmed, it effectively brings to a close a long chapter of Mehli Mistry’s association with some of the most influential cultural and philanthropic institutions connected to the Tata group.
