New Delhi, Sept. 25 -- A split among trustees of Tata Trusts over the composition of Tata Sons' board, as reported by Mint, suggests that the late Ratan Tata's successor Noel Tata could face a struggle to establish his authority over the group.

While Ratan Tata had complete loyalty, his early years at the top were marked by dissent too; an effort to exert Tata Sons' control over group companies was resisted by satraps with a firm grip on their fiefdoms, but a formidable team he created helped him win those battles.

Noel Tata's rise took a business track too. As a corporate leader, his big success was in transforming Trent into a leading apparel retailer. Yet, he didn't get a seat on the Tata Sons board until after Ratan Tata's demise. T...