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 5:35 AM GMT
Rata Tata death: TCS cancels Q2 earnings press conference
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has cancelled a press conference scheduled on Thursday evening to announce its second quarter performance, company officials said.
The press conference was originally scheduled at 1730 hours on Thursday.
As originally scheduled, TCS will inform the exchanges about its July-September performance after the board meeting, the officials said.
Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran, who announced the death last night, called Tata "a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation".
"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.
For the Tata Group, he was more than a chairperson. "To me, he was a mentor, guide and friend. He inspired by example. With an unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity, and innovation, the Tata Group under his stewardship expanded its global footprint while always remaining true to its moral compass," he said.
Tata's dedication to philanthropy and the development of society touched the lives of millions. "From education to healthcare, his initiatives have left a deep-rooted mark that will benefit generations to come. Reinforcing all of this work was Mr. Tata's genuine humility in every individual interaction," he said, adding his legacy will continue to inspire.
