The name Mohini Mohan Dutta which surfaced in the will of the late Ratan Tata has left many within the Tata family and business community surprised. The 74 year old former Tata Group employee is set to receive a substantial portion of Ratan Tata’s estate estimated at Rs 500 crore. His inclusion as a major beneficiary has sparked discussions and raised questions about the distribution of the industrialist’s wealth. Ratan Tata’s Will Ratan Tata who passed away in October 2024 left behind a will that bequeathed one-third of his estate to Dutta. The remaining estate has been distributed among Tata’s half-sisters Shireen Jejeebhoy and Deanna Jejeebhoy who also serve as executors of the will. The majority of Ratan Tata’s wealth however is dedicated to charitable causes through the two institutions he established in his final years the Ratan Tata Endowment Foundation and the Ratan Tata Endowment Trust. Mohini Mohan Dutta’s Claim Reports indicate that Mohini Mohan Dutta’s claim has led to disagreements with other stakeholders. Dutta has reportedly demanded a larger share than what the will’s executors estimate. Neither Dutta or the executors have officially commented on the matter with any media house so far. Who is Mohini Mohan Dutta? Dutta is from Jamshedpur and has a long history in the travel sector. His family once owned Stallion Travel Agency an enterprise in which Tata Industries held a 20% stake. In 2013 Stallion was merged into the Taj Group’s travel services a division of the Tata Group’s hospitality arm. Dutta has also served as a director for TC Travel Services a company linked to Thomas Cook (India). Dutta’s personal connection with Ratan Tata dates back 60 years to when they first met at the Dealers Hostel in Jamshedpur. At the time Ratan Tata was just 24 years old. In October 2024 Dutta described their bond stating Ratan Tata helped me out and pushed me forward in life. We stayed in contact for six decades. Mohini Mohan Dutta-Ratan Tata Connection While Dutta has been described by some within the Tata circle as positioning himself as Ratan Tata’s “adopted son” the will explicitly states that Tata never married nor adopted any children. This clarification may become a focal point as discussions around the estate’s distribution continue. Dutta’s family ties to the Tata Group extend further. One of his two daughters worked with Tata Trusts for nine years and had previously been employed at Taj Hotels. Dutta was also invited to the NCPA in Mumbai in December 2024 for an event commemorating Ratan Tata’s birth anniversary underscoring his close association with the Tata family. Tata Group’s Future Ratan Tata’s will reiterates his commitment to philanthropy as his primary assets are entrusted to charitable institutions. However the emergence of Mohini Mohan Dutta as a key beneficiary has sparked significant discussions within the Tata Group drawing attention to the complexities of dividing the industrialist’s wealth. Legal experts are now focusing on how the distribution process will be carried out in alignment with the will.