Mumbai: Ratan Naval Tata, Chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest salt-to-software conglomerates Tata Sons, passed away at 86 in Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. Just on Monday, the industrialist in a social media post dismissed speculation about his health and said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age.

In 2008, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in India, after receiving the Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian honour in 2000.

In a late-night statement on Wednesday, N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, announced the death of Ratan Tata, hailing the industrialist’s unwavering commitment to excellence, integrity and innovation. 

“It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to 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,” said Chandrasekaran.

As news broke, tributes poured in from the industry and beyond. Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the tributes, hailing the industrialist as a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.

“Ratan Tata Ji was 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 an unwavering commitment to making our society better,” the Prime Minister posted on X in a series of tweets along with pictures.

State mourning

The Maharashtra Government has declared a day of mourning in the State to pay tributes to Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister’s Office said. A statement quoting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the National Tricolour on Government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on Oct. 10 as a sign of mourning.

Ratan Tata’s mortal remains will be kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai from 10 am to 4 pm and his last rites will be performed in the Worli area of Mumbai later in the day with full State honours.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the last rites.

Early life

Ratan Tata joined Tata in 1961, where he worked on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He later succeeded J.R.D. Tata as Chairman of Tata Sons upon the latter’s retirement in 1991. Under his tenure, the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover and Corus, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business.

Born in 1937, Ratan Tata was raised by his grandmother Navajbai Tata, after his parents separated in 1948. He studied architecture at Cornell University and followed it up with a management course at Harvard.

By his own account, the bachelor industrialist came close to getting married on four occasions. He once admitted that he fell in love while working in Los Angeles. But because of the ongoing 1962 Indo-China War, the girl’s parents refused to let her move to India.

He also admitted to feeling lonely at times. “There are many times that I feel lonely about not having a wife or a family and sometimes I long for it. Sometimes I enjoy the freedom of not having to worry about the feelings of someone else or the concerns of someone else. On other times, it does get a little lonely,” he had said.

Former actor Simi Garewal shared a heartfelt note about bidding farewell to her friend Ratan. Simi Garewal once revealed that she briefly dated Ratan Tata, though she later married someone else. Despite that, the two remained close friends. “They say you have gone… It’s too hard to bear your loss..too hard… Farewell my friend,” she wrote on X.