“I think what is or is not the right time to start mediation depends on the dispute. Forcing parties to mediation is always a bad idea.”

-Delhi High Court Judge Justice Anup Jairam Bhambani at Commercial Mediation Conclave of 2026

A New Tata Group Saga
The Tata Sons-Tata Trusts confrontation is already looking less like an internal boardroom disagreement and more like a legal dispute waiting to enter the courts. And now, the possibility of any mediation or agreement appears next to none.

The fault lines are clear. Tata Trusts, with 66% share in Tata Sons, is disputing the board’s decision to reappoint N Chandrasekaran – a decision that even the two nominees of Tata Trust aren’t aligned on. Tata Sons’ board wants to align with RBI’s demand for listing, which goes against the Trusts’ vision for the group citing its history and of course interests of shareholders. The Articles of Association of Tata Sons, which has in the past also been at the centre of a rather long legal saga, yet again has become central for the case, and along with it all, regulatory compliance requirements posed by the central bank. Legal experts are already pointing to possible litigation, including proceedings before the NCLT and a potential challenge involving the RBI before the high court.

It could ultimately prove more complex, and potentially more bitter, than the Tata-Mistry battle of 2016. For now, however, the only reliable way to follow this dispute is through each board decision, regulatory move, shareholder vote and, and even press statements and then eventually, judicial intervention.

Key Rulings:

• Madras High Court holds that RERA cannot decide title disputes; parties must approach civil courts
• Madras High Court says that use of visually similar vernacular versions of registered trademarks would account as trademark infringement

Courts: 

• Delhi High Court holds that 18.5 billion rupees paid by Ranbaxy to Israeli pharmaceutical company Teva Israel under a settlement is not taxable in India
• PIL petition filed before the Supreme Court challenging government notification to impose levy MDR on UPI transactions over 2,000 rupees 
• Delhi High Court seeks government’s response on a PIL petition for curbs on addictive features on social media platforms
• Calcutta High Court will decide on the validity of customs department’s prohibition on import of adult pleasure toys as “obscene”
• BharatPe has sued Centrum Financial Services Limited and JBCG Advisory Services Private Limited over the alleged unauthorised transfer and encumbrance of warrants issued by Unity Small Finance Bank
• Supreme Court refuses to quash charges under Prevention of Corruption Act against Chitra Ramakrishnan in the NSE co-location case, refuses to interfere with the Delhi High Court’s order
• Delhi High Court orders RBI to mediate dispute between PayU and banks and Visa over merchant codes
• Delhi High Court calls for OpenAI’s response on ANI’s petition seeking to temporarily restrain ChatGPT from using its content
• Delhi High Court rejects Vimal pan masala’s plea against FDA notice to its ambassadors, actors Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn and Tiger Shroff

Quasi Courts: 

• NCLT asks Bira and its creditors to engage in mediation in the insolvency case

Other:

• As many as 18 NCLT benches hold half day sittings due to member shortage, the bar association has informed the Supreme Court

The Big Listings: 

• Sep 28: Supreme Court to hear case concerning front of pack labels for displaying warnings on processed foods
• Oct 5: Securities Appellate Tribunal to continue hearing appeal by Jane Street challenging SEBI’s move to allegedly refuse access to important documents to the firm in the case against it

* The dates of hearing can change and a concrete list is prepared just a day before

Legal Moves:

• Centre notifies appointment of:
• Three judicial officers as judges at the Karnataka High Court
• One judicial officer as judge at Jammu & Kashmir High Court
• Seven judicial officers as judges at the Delhi High Court
• Three judicial officers as judges at the Jharkhand High Court
• Durga Priya Manda joins Argus Partners as partner in dispute resolution, data privacy and tech
• Vidula Mehrotra elevated to, and Roshni Khirbath added as, partner at Vardharma Law.