Tata Sons Defends Chandrasekaran's Chair Reappointment with Three Senior Legal Opinions

Tata Sons formally dismissed the concerns raised by Noel Tata regarding the reappointment of N Chandrasekaran as chairman, reinforcing the September 17 board decision with legal opinions from three distinguished lawyers: senior advocate Sudipto Sarkar, former Chief Justice of India Uday Lalit, and former Supreme Court judge B N Srikrishna. The company asserted that the board's majority vote was properly conducted and adhered to its Articles of Association.

Noel Tata contended that the reappointment violated Articles 118 and 121, which prescribe a five-member selection committee for a new chairman, with three members nominated by Tata Trusts. Company secretary Suprakash Mukhopadhyay replied to Noel Tata's September 18 letter, stating that Article 118 governs only the appointment of a new chairman, not a reappointment. Consequently, Tata Sons maintains that the process was lawful and the board's decision stands.