Churchill Brothers buy Jamshedpur FC from Tata Steel

Churchill Brothers will acquire an ISL licence and also the contracts of two coaches and 12 players from Churchill Brothers.

Churchill Brothers will take over Jamshedpur Football and Sporting Private Limited from Tata Steel for just INR 100. With this, Tata Steel's ownership of Jamshedpur FC will officially be transferred to Churchill Brothers after administering the club's functioning for 10 years. The decision was made two weeks ago when Jamshedpur FC stated that they wouldn't participate in the 2026-27 ISL season. 

Jamshedpur FC was formed in 2017 and played a crucial role in shaping high class talents from India and across the world. It also won the League Shield in 2021-22 and played a huge role in helping the league grow. The committee of directors of Tata Steel officially declared the transfer of 100% of the shares on the 14th of August. The company is a partial owner of 4.08 crore equity shares in the football business. Both Churchill Brothers and Tata Steel also signed a Share Purchase Agreement.

 Vice President of Tata Steel Corporate Services D.B Sundara Raman stated that Churchill Brothers' rich footballing history provides our players and coaches a chance to grow and continue playing the game. He also stated that he was thankful to Churchill Brothers and AIFF for making this agreement a success and making the partnership smooth to go through the rebuilding phase. The formalities are expected to be completed by the 31st of August, keeping in mind AIFF's approval and other terms and conditions. 

Churchill Brothers will take over the club's license for the ISL, including the contracts of Jamshedpur FC's 12 players and 2 coaches. These contracts will be taken over by September 2026, which would enable the coaching staff and players a chance to continue their respective careers in the ISL. The ownership change will be officially completed once AIFF approves the deal after completion of formalities. Churchill Brothers is a well-known club that has its base in Goa, and after taking over Jamshedpur FC's license, it has a chance to break into top division of football. 

Withdrawal of Jamshedpur FC from ISL 2026-27

Jamshedpur FC had declared on 31st July that they won't participate in the 2026-27 ISL season but would help in the overall development of the sport at the grassroots level. The club needed time to decide whether they should participate in the ISL after there were changes in the tournament's commercial and financial system. 

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The AIFF had told the clubs that they should confirm whether they wanted to participate in the ISL or not and send the participation fee at the earliest. Jamshedpur FC had asked for the deadline to be extended till 31st July. The club decided not to take part in the competition, and the transfer of ownership provides an alternative option to the club's ISL license, its players and coaches to still be active in the tournament. 

Careers of Jamshedpur FC coaches and players ?

It would be interesting to note how the agreement provides a boost to the club's continuity and progress. From September, Churchill Brothers will acquire the contracts of 2 coaches and 12 players, which would help them pursue their respective careers in the ISL. It will help Jamshedpur FC's progress, while its operations and administration would be handled by Churchill Brothers. 

Jamshedpur FC provides its financial details

Tata Steel provided financial details of JFSPL. Its revenue during FY 2025-26 was INR 32.23 crore. It contributed just 0.01% of Tata Steel's turnover. JFSPL recorded a net worth of INR 5.8 crore till March 2026.  Tata Steel will provide its entire shareholding for INR 100. The Churchill brothers aren't considered promoters. JFSPL's overall revenue was below par, and it might have prompted the owners to go for the deal.   

Tata Steel to keep contributing towards developing grassroots football

Despite moving aside club-level football, Tata Steel has stated that the company will be contributing to developing football at the grassroots as well as junior level. Tata Steel had committed to working for the Tata football academy and its centres at the youth and junior levels. The company said that developing and boosting the game's overall standards and infrastructure at the youth level is still its priority by working alongside AIFF. The company also stated that it will work in developing talents in tribal areas. 

Tata Football Academy has trained 150 cadets at different age groups. D.B. Sundara Ramam stated that strengthening the game at the grassroots and junior level by reforming the youth system is their main focus, working alongside AIFF. After the Churchill brothers take over, Jamshedpur FC will have a new look in administration.