The final rites of Ratan Naval Tata – the industrialist with a heart of gold – were performed with full State honours at a Mumbai crematorium this afternoon.
Home Minister Amit Shah was among the many high-profile dignitaries on hand to pay their final respects to Mr Tata; he stands in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is en route to Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits. Mr Modi last night hailed Mr Tata as a “an extraordinary human being”.
Mr Shah was accompanied by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.
Earlier today Ratan Tata lay in state, wrapped in the national flag, at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point, before his body was transported to the crematorium in Worli, a distance of 12 km.
Thousands lined the streets to bid goodbye to one of their own, an unassuming Mumbai-born and bred ‘chhotu’ who transformed the Tata brand into a global powerhouse.
And the country’s most powerful politicians were joined by its most influential celebrities – actors and sportspersons – and the country’s richest, including the Ambanis and the Adanis, in paying their respects.
Maharashtra has announced a day of mourning as a mark of respect for a business leader and philanthropist admired in India and abroad for his simplicity, sincerity, and humanity.
Ratan Tata’s contributions to the industrial and development sectors, to the economy and to the lives of tens of thousands of men and women, are too many to count.
Some, perhaps, deserve mention, such as the ‘revenge’ purchase of luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover, which heralded India’s arrival on the global automotive stage, and his commitment to the welfare of dogs, exemplified by the ₹ 165 crore hospital in Mumbai.
But his death unquestionably marks the end of an era; he was, perhaps, the last of his kind, someone who, despite fabulous privilege, never appeared to flaunt his wealth.
Indeed, Mr Tata could never be found on a list of billionaires simply because he donated the vast majority – 60 to 65 per cent, if some sources are to be believed – of his income.
The End
Ratan Tata died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital late last night at the age of 86.
He was admitted Monday but, as was his nature, played down any fuss, declaring he was undergoing routine age-related medical check-ups. “There is no cause for concern. Thank you for thinking of me…”
Hours later, just as discreetly and quietly, the Tata family broke the news.
“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,” the group’s Chairperson, N Chandrasekaran, said.
As the news spread the outpouring of grief underlined Mr Tata’s stature, but it was a fellow industrial titan, Anand Mahindra, who best captured the emotions of 145 crore Indians.