Tata tangle splits legal eagles: Chandrachud, Salve differ over Chandrasekaran’s reappointment

The Tata Sons board’s decision to grant incumbent Natarajan Chandrasekaran a fresh five-year term has put two of India’s most eminent legal minds at odds.

D.Y. Chandrachud, a former Chief Justice of India, has questioned how the board approved the reappointment. He has specifically questioned the use of a casting vote by the meeting’s chair to break a deadlock between two Tata Trusts nominee directors — Noel Tata, chairman of Tata Trusts, and Venu Srinivasan. Tata Trusts is the largest shareholder of Tata Sons. The decisive vote was cast by Harish Manwani, chairman of Tata Sons’ Nomination and Remuneration Committee.