Tata Steel sells Jamshedpur FC ownership to Churchill Brothers for ₹100

Churchill Brothers will also take over the ISL license and contracts of Jamshedpur FC’s 12 players and two coaches.

Tata Steel has officially agreed to transfer its entire stake in Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited (JFSPL), the company that owns Jamshedpur FC, to Churchill Brothers Sports Club for a token ₹100.

The decision brings an end to Tata Steel’s ownership of the Indian Super League (ISL) club after nearly a decade. It also comes less than two weeks after Jamshedpur FC confirmed that it would not participate in the ISL 2026-27 season.

Jamshedpur FC was established in 2017 and went on to become an important part of the ISL landscape. The club won the League Shield in the 2021-22 season and remained an important part of the league in the years that followed.

Tata Steel’s Committee of Directors approved the transfer of its 100% stake in JFSPL on August 14. The company holds 4.08 crore equity shares in the football subsidiary. Tata Steel and Churchill Brothers also signed a Share Purchase Agreement on the same day.

D. B. Sundara Ramam, Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: “Churchill Brothers is a club with real history in Indian football, and we are glad that this agreement gives our players and coaches the opportunity to continue playing club football. We thank AIFF and Churchill Brothers for their partnership in making this transition a smooth one.”

The transaction is expected to be completed by August 31, subject to AIFF approval and other customary conditions.

Tata Steel handsover Jamshedpur FC to Churchill Brothers

The agreement will see Churchill Brothers take control of JFSPL and, in turn, assume the club’s sporting licence for the ISL.

The transfer will also cover the contracts of Jamshedpur FC’s 12 players and two coaches. Churchill Brothers will take over those contracts from September 2026, allowing the players and coaching staff to continue their professional careers in the ISL.

However, the change in ownership remains subject to the necessary regulatory approvals. The AIFF must approve the transfer before the deal can be completed.

Churchill Brothers, based in Goa, has been a prominent name in Indian football for close to four decades. The club has won the I-League twice and now has an opportunity to return to the top tier through the Jamshedpur FC sporting licence.

Jamshedpur FC had already withdrawn from ISL 2026-27

The development comes after Jamshedpur FC announced on July 31 that it would not participate in the 2026-27 ISL season.

The club did not give a specific reason for its decision. Instead, JFSPL said it would continue supporting football development in India, particularly at the grassroots level.

Jamshedpur FC had been seeking additional time to decide on its ISL participation after the league moved towards a new club-led commercial structure. The AIFF had asked clubs to confirm their participation and submit the first instalment of the participation fee. Jamshedpur requested an extension until July 31 to make its decision.

The club eventually opted out of the upcoming ISL campaign. The ownership transfer to Churchill Brothers now provides a different route for the club’s ISL sporting licence and its players to remain part of the competition.

What happens to Jamshedpur FC players and coaches?

One of the biggest implications of the deal is the continuity it provides to the existing squad.

Churchill Brothers will take over the contracts of 12 Jamshedpur FC players and two coaches from September. This means those individuals will have the opportunity to continue their careers in the ISL rather than being left without a club following Tata Steel’s exit.

The move also offers a degree of continuity for the Jamshedpur FC setup, although the club’s future identity and operations will now come under Churchill Brothers.

Jamshedpur FC’s financials revealed

Tata Steel’s regulatory filing also provided details about JFSPL’s financial position.

Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited recorded revenue of ₹32.23 crore during FY2025-26. That figure represented just 0.01% of Tata Steel’s consolidated turnover.

However, JFSPL had a negative net worth of ₹5.8 crore as of March 31, 2026. Tata Steel will therefore exit its 100% holding in the subsidiary for a nominal cash consideration of ₹100.

Tata Steel also confirmed that Churchill Brothers is not connected to its promoter or promoter group. The transaction, therefore, does not constitute a related-party transaction.

Tata Steel to continue grassroots football work

Although Tata Steel is stepping away from professional club football, the company says its involvement in the sport will continue at the grassroots and youth levels.

The company highlighted its long-standing work through the Tata Football Academy and its football development centres. Tata Steel said it will continue investing in youth development and sporting infrastructure in collaboration with the AIFF.

“Tata Steel will continue to focus on football at the grassroots and youth level, given our legacy of identifying and nurturing young talent, especially among local and tribal communities. This includes the Tata Football Academy, which has trained 150 cadets who have represented India and 26 captains of national teams across various age groups.

We will continue to maintain and enhance our sporting infrastructure – repurposing it for grassroots football and athlete development. We will be modernising our youth system, investing in and further building its capability in collaboration with the AIFF.” D. B. Sundara Ramam added.

Now, with Churchill Brothers set to take over the club’s ownership, the next chapter of Jamshedpur FC’s story will begin under new management.

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