The annual meeting of Tata Steel is normally a staid affair, in which elderly shareholders of India’s largest private sector producer of the metal take the opportunity to congratulate management on another great year.

But at this year’s AGM, Ratan Tata, Tata Steel’s chairman, flush with the success of his company’s takeover of Anglo-Dutch rival Corus, was surprised to see some dissenting hands among the usually worshipful audience. Ten Greenpeace activists had bought one share each to give them a chance to speak at the meeting.