Ratan Tata on Wednesday paid a surprise visit to the RSS headquarters in Nagpur and met sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat, triggering curiosity.

The interim chairman of Tata Sons spent some 40-45 minutes with the RSS chief at the Sangh headquarters in Mahal after first visiting the Hedgewar Memorial in Reshimbagh. BJP spokesperson Shaina NC accompanied Tata, who turned 79 on Wednesday, on the visit from Mumbai.

"It was a courtesy meeting," RSS spokesperson Manmohan Vaidya told The Telegraph. "Mr Tata had expressed his desire to visit the Sangh headquarters and the Hedgewar memorial some time back to understand more about the RSS. He was given the time today," he said. Local RSS functionaries took him around and briefed him about the work the RSS does through its different organisations, Vaidya added.

Tata Sons is locked in a bitter battle with its former chairman, Cyrus Mistry, who was sacked from the post two months ago.

(Picture released by the RSS and tweeted by Shaina NC shows Tata and Shaina at the Hedgewar memorial at Reshimbagh on Wednesday afternoon)