Ever since the ouster of Shapoorji Pallonji Group scion Cyrus Mistry as Tata Sons chairman in 2016, the two sides have had frosty relations. Now, a temple ceremony is bringing together leaders from both sides.
Shapoor Mistry, chair of SP Group and brother of the late Cyrus Mistry, heads the Mahakumbhabhishekam Core Committee of Mumbai’s Sri Sankara Mattham. In a letter to devotees seeking donations for the event on 6 April, Mistry wrote that Tata Sons chair N. Chandrasekaran had “graciously consented” to serve as the “chief patron” of the committee, to “ably guide” the conduct of the celebrations. The letter was co-signed by Mistry as well as Mattham president and SP Group advisor S. Kuppuswamy.
The 87-year-old religious institution in suburban Matunga is dedicated to Adi Sankaracharya. The Mahakumbhabhishekam is held once in 12 years. Mistry’s letter said the Sankaracharya of Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam will conduct the consecration “to rejuvenate and re-energize the temple and enhance its spiritual powers.” The week-long celebrations start on 2nd April.
Queries sent to Tata Sons and SP Group seeking comment remained unanswered.
A Tata Trusts executive noted that seeing both leaders on the same committee is a surprise development given their tense relationship.
“Will this be the sign of a beginning of a thaw in the long-standing fissure between the two Parsi-led groups?” he wondered, referring to the SP Group and the Tata Group. SP Group owns 18.37% in Tata Sons.
Discussions on exit
On 28 July, 2025, Tata Trusts, led by chairman Noel Tata, directed Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran to explore all possible options to ensure that the holding company of the Tata Group remains private and asked Tata Sons Chairman to continue discussions with the Shapoorji Pallonji Group to provide an exit to the largest minority shareholder.
“It was agreed at the Trustees’ meeting of 28th May to request the Chairman of Tata Sons to explore all possible avenues to ensure that there was no change in the status of Tata Sons as it currently stood. This included a dialogue with the minority shareholders, i.e. the SP Group, for providing an exit to them from Tata Sons,” the said resolution of the key Trust said. Such a resolution would address the long-standing tensions following the 2016 events and help the SP Group avoid a cash crunch. In October 2025, the SP Group repeated its demand for an initial public offering of Tata Sons, calling it a “moral and social imperative”.
Mint is not aware whether the Trustees are in the loop on their group’s chair sharing the same platform with the SP Group.
“The chairman of Tata Sons is requested to keep the SRTT (Sir Ratan Tata Trust) informed of the progress of the above matters,” the July resolution mentioned.
“For decades, the Mattham has been a centre for worship, promotion of Vedic traditions, support to Vedapathashalas and Nithyagnihotris, study of Upanishads and Vedanta, spiritual discourses, and the preservation of Sanatan values. The Mattham conducts Veda Classes, Gita Classes, Sanskrit Classes and religious discourses in addition to the daily pooja rituals in its premises at Mumbai,” the letter to devotees added. The Mattham has expanded its horizons beyond Mumbai and established Vedapathashalas across Maharashtra.