LIVE | India bids adieu to Ratan Tata; industry titan given ceremonial guard of honour
Tata, who headed salt-to-software Tata Group for over 2 decades, breathed his last in Mumbai on Oct 9
The nation went into mourning at midnight as Ratan Naval Tata, former Tata Sons chairman who transformed a staid group into India's largest and most influential conglomerate with a string of eye-catching deals, died on October 9. He was 86.
Tata, who was chairman of the salt to software Tata Group for more than two decades, breathed his last at south Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital at 11.30 pm on Wednesday.
Ratan Tata's final rites were performed with full state honours at a central Mumbai crematorium on Thursday (October 10) evening. The Mumbai police paid tribute to Tata with a gun salute. The industry titan's family members, including the half-brother Noel Tata, and top executives from the Tata Group like chairman N Chandrasekaran, were present at the crematorium in Worli.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, his cabinet colleague Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, Congress leader and former CM Sushilkumar Shinde, among others, were also present.
One of the priests present at the crematorium said the last rites were performed according to Parsi tradition.
Also read | Ratan Tata obit: Industry trailblazer, corporate adventurer, boardroom patriarch
A Padma Vibhushan recipient, Tata, had been in intensive care at the hospital since Monday.
Early days
Educated at Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, the veteran industrialist 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.
Growth of the group
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.
"It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation," Chandrasekaran said in a late-night statement.
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- 10 Oct 2024 11:35 AM GMT
Ratan Tata given ceremonial guard of honour at Worli crematorium
Industry titan Ratan Tata was given a ceremonial guard of honour by the Mumbai Police after his mortal remains were brought to a crematorium in Worli for final rites on Thursday evening.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal were present at the crematorium in central Mumbai.
"Have joined millions of Indians to grieve the sad demise of Ratan Tata Ji. Also laid a wreath on behalf of PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji," Shah said in a post on X.
Shah said Tata (86) will always be remembered as a beacon of patriotism and integrity.
As an industrialist respected across the world, he steered the Tata Group into global prominence. His life and commitment to the nation stand as a pole star in India's industrial landscape, the Union minister said.
He led the Tata Group with clean corporate governance, adhering to the rules, and made efforts to build a better society through the Tata Trusts, Shah said.
"Ratan Tata Ji's legacy will continue to guide those who lead the industrial sector of the country for a long time to come," the senior BJP leader added.
Tata's mortal remains were kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai for people to pay respects from 10.30 am to 3.55 pm. Later, they were taken to the crematorium for last rites.
Tata, credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, died at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
- 10 Oct 2024 11:08 AM GMT
Tata was an institution in himself: GP Hinduja
Ratan Tata was an institution in himself, not just India's leading and noblest business titan, Hinduja Group Chairman GP Hinduja said on Thursday.
In his condolence message at the demise of the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, Hinduja said Tata will always live on in the countless Indians whom he touched with his professional and philanthropic deeds.
"Ratan Tata was not just India's leading and noblest business titan; he was an institution in himself. Ratan added many enduring chapters to the Tata Legacy by taking it global," he said.
Stating that Tata truly represented India's aspirations, Hinduja said, "He will always live on in the countless Indians whom he touched with his professional and philanthropic deeds”.
Tata (86) died late on Wednesday evening in a Mumbai hospital following age-related health conditions.
- 10 Oct 2024 10:53 AM GMT
Gujarat govt declares day of mourning to pay tributes to Ratan Tata
The Gujarat government has announced a one-day state mourning on Thursday as a mark of respect to Ratan Tata, who passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday night.
As per a notification issued by the state government, the national flag will be flown at half-mast on government buildings across Gujarat on Thursday, and there will be no official programme during the day.
Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel reached Mumbai and offered floral tributes to Tata, whose mortal remains were kept in the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in the city for people to pay their last respects.
In a statement, Patel expressed profound grief over Tata's demise, saying India has lost its ‘Ratan’ (gem) and his death has left a void that can never be filled.
- 10 Oct 2024 10:51 AM GMT
Tata's visionary leadership made India proud: Swadeshi Jagran Manch
The Swadeshi Jagran Manch on Thursday condoled the demise of veteran industrialist Ratan Tata and said his visionary leadership always made India proud.
He had been the torch bearer of the ‘swadeshi’ movement of self-employment and entrepreneurship to brighten the path for young entrepreneurs, SJM national co-convenor Ashwani Mahajan said.
"Continuing the legacy of the first ‘swadeshi’ large steel industry, from the days of pre-independent India, the life of Ratan Tata has been a source of inspiration for the budding entrepreneurs, not only in our country but across the world,” he said.
Ratan Tata, Tata Group’s chairman emeritus, passed away late Wednesday in Mumbai. He was 86.
"The Swadeshi Jagran Manch deeply mourns the sad demise of one of the greatest industry leaders of India and the world, Padma Vibhushan Ratan Naval Tata," Mahajan said in a statement.
Activists and leadership of Swadeshi Jagran Manch from every nook and corner of the country pay "heartfelt tribute to Ratan Tata", he added.
