'A Truly Uncommon Leader': India Mourns Ratan Tata, Prepares For The Final Farewell Of A National Icon

Tributes poured in, a billion people mourned and India prepared itself on Thursday for Ratan Tatan’s final farewell, an evening event in Mumbai’s Worli that is expected to see a sombre gathering of commoners, celebrities, politicians and business tycoons united in grief by the passing away of a national icon.

Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Group, died at the age of 86 on Wednesday night. Confirming his demise, Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran said Ratan Tata was “a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation”

Tata, who transformed a staid group into India’s largest and most influential conglomerate with a string of eye-catching deals, breathed his last at south Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital at 11.30 pm. A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Tata, had been in intensive care at the hospital since Monday, the day when he asserted there was no cause for concern regarding his health and he was undergoing check-ups for age-related medical conditions amid reports of his admission to a hospital.

His demise was first confirmed by a top official of the Mumbai Police, hours after which, the Maharashtra government declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to Ratan Tata. A statement quoting Chief Minister Shinde read the national tricolour on government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on Thursday as a sign of mourning.

RATAN TATA’s FAREWELL: LAST RITES, SECURITY

People from different walks of life, including Tata group employees, gathered outside the residence of Ratan Tata in south Mumbai on Thursday morning to pay their respects to the veteran industrialist.

His mortal remains were then taken to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai, where people can pay respects to him until 3.30 pm. His last rites will be performed in the Worli area of Mumbai later in the day.

Extra forces of the Mumbai Police were called in to manage the crowd, as more people gathered to pay tribute to Ratan Tata.

DIGNITARIES GATHER

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar was among the early visitors at Tata’s home in the Colaba area to pay homage to the industrialist.

Members of the Mumbai Police band were also present outside the house, besides a number of security personnel and media persons.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will be one of those attending Tata’s funeral, and will pay respects to the mortal remains of Tata on behalf of Government of India, news agency PTI reported. The Home Minister will visit Mumbai for the funeral as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving for Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, the state’s Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani were among those who rushed to the hospital after hearing about Tata’s death.

WHO ALL ARE ATTENDING RATAN TATA’s FUNERAL

According to sources, those attending Ratan Tata’s funeral include Mukesh and Anant Ambani, Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy, Aditya Birla Group chairperson Kumar Mangalam Birla, RBI Governor Shashikant Das, industrialist Gautam Adani, ⁠Anand Mahindra, yog guru ⁠Baba Ramdev and more.

The list of politicians includes Rahul Gandhi, former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, ⁠Chirag Paswan, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendrabhai Patel, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel, Union Minister Piyush Goyal, ⁠Chirag Paswan, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivkumar, Jharkhand Chief Minister ⁠Hemant Soren, Bihar Chief Minister ⁠Nitish Kumar, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, and more.

BHARAT RATNA FOR RATAN TATA

The Shiv Sena faction led by Eknath Shinde today called for proposing Ratan Tata’s name for the Bharat Ratna award. Shiv Sena leader Rahool N Kanal, in a letter to Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, urged him to recommend Ratan Tata’s name to the central government for this highest civilian honour awarded by the Government of India.

LEADERS REMEMBER RATAN TATA

PM Narendra Modi – Remembering Tata, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul, and an extraordinary human being.

“He provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom. He endeared himself to several people thanks to his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to making our society better,” he said in a post on X.

Posting his pictures with Tata during various times of his political career, PModi said one of the most unique aspects of Tata was his passion towards dreaming big and giving back.

“He was at the forefront of championing causes like education, healthcare, sanitation, animal welfare to name a few. My mind is filled with countless interactions with Shri Ratan Tata Ji. I would meet him frequently in Gujarat when I was the CM. We would exchange views on diverse issues. I found his perspectives very enriching. These interactions continued when I came to Delhi. Extremely pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti,” the Prime Minister added.

Mukesh Ambani – In a condolence message, business tycoon Mukesh Ambani said, “It is a very sad day for India and India Inc. Ratan Tata’s passing away is a big loss, not just to the Tata Group, but to every Indian. At a personal level, the passing of Ratan Tata has filled me with immense grief as I lost a dear friend.” Ambani also recalled his numerous interactions with Tata that left him “inspired and energised”, and said that Ratan Tata was a visionary industrialist and a philanthropist, who always strove for society’s greater good.

Gautam Adani – Billionaire Gautam Adani said India lost a giant, a visionary who redefined modern India’s path.

“With the demise of Mr Ratan Tata, India has lost one of her most illustrious and kind-hearted sons. Mr Tata took India to the world and brought the best of the world to Bharat. He institutionalised the House of Tata and made it an international enterprise growing the Tata Group over 70 times since the time he took over as Chairman in 1991,” he added. “Ratan, you will always remain in my heart,” Adani said.

“Ratan Tata wasn’t just a business leader – he embodied the spirit of India with integrity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to the greater good. Legends like him never fade away. Om Shanti,” Adani wrote in a post on X.

Anand Mahindra – Anand Mahindra of automaker Mahindra and Mahindra said India’s economy stands on the cusp of a historic leap forward and Tata’s “life and work have had much to do with our being in this position”. “Hence, his mentorship and guidance at this point in time would have been invaluable,” he said.

LK Advani – “My last communication with Ratan Tata ji was in February this year when I received a warm letter from him congratulating me on being awarded the Bharat Ratna. His warmth, generosity and kindness had always been very endearing,” the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) stelwart said.

Piyush Goyal – Union Minister Piyush Goyal broke down as he recalled Ratan Tata, saying, “The small and thoughtful gestures which make the man the Ratan Tata – 140 crore Indian love and the world loves. I recall when he came home once in Mumbai for breakfast, we had only served a simple Idli, Sambhar, and Dosa, but he was so appreciative. I mean, he must be having the world’s best cooks. But he was so appreciative of that simple breakfast. He was so kind to all of us in the family. He was so kind to the server who was serving the breakfast.”

Nitin Gadkari – Union Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari expressed shock at the passing away of Tata, whom he termed a “great son of the soil”. “I had close family ties with Ratan Tata for three decades,” Gadkari posted on X.

S Somanath – On the demise of Ratan Tata, ISRO Chairman S Somanath said, “The name Tata is very synonymous with the industrial growth of India. Almost in all sectors, they have played a great role. That tradition of an ethical way of doing business has been one of the very characteristics of Tatas. Ratan Tata symbolises the same nature of the leadership that they have been giving to Tata’s institutions. Ratan Tata by his personality has been one of the leading industrial figures having huge respect and admiration from everyone. I think this loss is something we should all be very sad about.”

Harsh Goenka – RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka, in a post on X, wrote, “The clock has stopped ticking. The Titan passes away. #RatanTata was a beacon of integrity, ethical leadership and philanthropy, who has imprinted an indelible mark on the world of business and beyond. He will forever soar high in our memories. R.I.P.” People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India in a statement said Tata’s love for animals and compassion, which was as famous as his business prowess, will always be remembered.

AMIT SHAH REMEMBERS RATAN TATA

Addressing an event in Delhi, Amit Shah today said, “As you all know we lost Ratan Tata yesterday, I will need to go to Mumbai today. I pay my heartfelt tribute to him. Ratan Tata ji was a very respectful industrialist.”

“He was a respected industrialist not just in India, but the world. He took on the leadership of Tata Group at a time when it was important for the Tata Group to make changes. He transformed the way of working and the many businesses of Tata Group. The business group under the leadership of Ratan Tata Ji did a lot of work in many other areas including education and cancer treatment. Ratan Tata’s legacy will guide people in the industry,” Amit Shah said.

RATAN TATA’s LIFE

Born in 1937 to a family of Parsis, an ethno-religious group of Persian descent in India who follow the Zoroastrian religion, Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, where he studied architecture and structural engineering. Ratan Tata worked on the shop floor at the family-run group after returning to India in 1962. He gained experience in several Tata Group firms before being named director in charge of one of them, the National Radio and Electronics Co. in 1971.

He became chairman of Tata Industries a decade later and in 1991 took over as the chairman of the Tata Group from his uncle, JRD, who had been in charge for more than half a century.

In 2000, the group acquired British firm Tetley, owner of one of the largest global tea brands, for $432 million. Seven years later, Tata Steel prevailed in a $12.1 billion battle for control of Corus, a British steel company.

Tata retired as group chairman in 2012 and was chairman emeritus of holding company Tata Sons before his death. Since stepping down from day-to-day duties, the businessman had been throwing himself into improving the lot of India’s many stray animals.

Under his stewardship, the conglomerate embarked on a massive expansion drive, snapping iconic British assets including steelmaker Corus and luxury carmaker Jaguar Land Rover.

Its two-and-half-dozen listed firms now make coffee and cars, salt and software, steel and power, run airlines and introduced India’s first super app. It recently forayed into chip making and is planning an iPhone assembly plant. The conglomerate ended with USD 165 billion in revenue in the last fiscal.