Who Is Mehli Mistry?
If the Tata Trusts were a blockbuster drama, Mehli Mistry would be the quietly powerful character who suddenly steals the spotlight in the final act.
A low-profile industrialist with a taste for strategy over showmanship, Mistry has long been part of the Tata universe’s inner circle. A trusted confidant of Ratan Tata, he now holds one of the most influential seats in Indian corporate philanthropy, as trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust (SDTT) and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust (SRTT), which together control a whopping 51% stake in Tata Sons.
Since joining the trusts in 2022, Mistry has shed his behind-the-scenes tag, emerging as a reform-minded insider pushing for greater transparency and sharper governance.
Once known for his quiet efficiency, he’s now the man everyone’s watching, the soft-spoken power player shaping the next chapter of the Tata legacy.
Mehli Mistry And His Business Background
- Chairman & Director of the Meherji Pallonji (M Pallonji) Group, a diversified company involved in:
- Industrial coatings
- Dredging and shipping
- Logistics and finance
- Pharmaceuticals and automobile dealerships
- The group reportedly had revenues of ₹898 crore in FY24, according to Tracxn data.
- Known for maintaining a conservative, low-debt business strategy, avoiding aggressive expansion or publicity.
- Long-term business links with Tata Power, which drew attention during the Tata-Cyrus Mistry dispute.
What Was Mehli Mistry’s Relationship With Ratan Tata: A Bond Beyond Business
The connection between Mehli Mistry and Ratan Tata is more than business and boardroom; it is one of trust, loyalty, and silent companionship. They were not only neighbours because they lived in the iconic Bakhtawar Building in Colaba and shared a zip code, but through the decades, a friendship developed between them and would later evolve into one of the most significant unions in Indian corporate history.
With the circle of Ratan Tata decreasing in his later years, Mistry was one of the few people the leader engaged in talks with, who remained during changes and crises.
His commitment was rewarded in ways that few can boast about, he was made a director at RNT Associates, a personal investment company owned by Tata, in 2023 and appointed as one of four executors of Tata’s will. Tata too, in a very personal manner, bequeathed to Mistry his home at Alibaug and three inherited guns, symbols of a friendship founded on unshaken faith and reciprocating respect.
Family Ties And The Cyrus Mistry Connection
- Mehli Mistry is a first cousin of the late Cyrus Mistry, former Tata Sons chairman.
- Though close in youth, the two reportedly became estranged long before Cyrus’s ouster in 2016.
- Cyrus Mistry’s camp accused Mehli’s companies of benefiting from preferential Tata Power contracts, an allegation denied by both Mehli and the Tata Group.
- The episode further established Mehli as a staunch Ratan Tata loyalist, creating tension within the Parsi business community.
Mehli Mistry’s Rise Within Tata Trusts
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