Ratan Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, died in Mumbai on Wednesday. He was 86 years old.
Tata was in critical condition and was under intensive care at a hospital in Mumbai, Reuters reported on Wednesday.
On Monday, Tata had said in a social media post that he was undergoing routine medical check-ups due to his age and related medical conditions.
The Maharashtra government announced a day of mourning on Thursday and a state funeral for the industrialist.
Tata joined the family-run business in 1961, where he worked on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He went on to succeed JRD Tata as the chairperson of the Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, in 1991. He held the position till 2012 and again for a brief period between 2016 and 2017.
He was credited with expanding and diversifying the conglomerate. His tenure saw the Tata Group acquire global brands such as British beverage manufacturer Tetley, multinational automaker Jaguar Land Rover and European steel giant Corus.
Tata also invested in several startups in his personal capacity through his investment firm.
In 2008, he was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the chairman of Tata Sons, said that Tata was a “truly uncommon leader” whose contributions shaped not only the conglomerate, but “also the very fabric” of India.
“He inspired by example,” Chandrasekaran said in a statement. “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.”
President Droupadi Murmu said that with the demise of Tata, India had “lost an icon who blended corporate growth with nation building, and excellence with ethics”.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said late on Wednesday that Tata was a “visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being”.
The prime minister said that Tata provided “stable leadership” to one of India’s oldest business groups.
“At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom,” Modi said in a social media post. “He endeared himself to several people thanks to his humility, kindness and an unwavering commitment to making our society better.”
Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi said that Tata was a person with a vision. “He has left a lasting mark on both business and philanthropy,” Gandhi said on social media on Thursday.
Gautam Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group, said that India had lost a “giant, a visionary who redefined modern India’s path”.
Sundar Pichai, the chief executive officer of Google’s parent company Alphabet, said that Tata deeply cared about making India better. “He leaves an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy and was instrumental in mentoring and developing the modern business leadership in India,” Pichai said on social media.
Anand Mahindra, the Mahindra and Mahindra Group chairperson, said that Tata’s work had much to do with India’s economy standing “on the cusp of a historic leap forward”.
Mahindra added: “His mentorship and guidance at this point in time would have been invaluable…Because he was a businessman for whom financial wealth and success was most useful when it was put to the service of the global community.”
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