Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Indian conglomerate Tata Group, has died at the age of 86

Thousands of people paid their last respects Thursday to Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Group, in India’s financial capital ahead of a state funeral later in the day.

The veteran industrialist, hailed by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a visionary business leader, died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night. He was 86 years old.

Tata’s body was taken on Thursday to the national center in Mumbai, where the public, industrialists, government officials and celebrities lined up to pay their last respects.

Tata Group’s current chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran described Tata as his “friend, mentor and guide”. He did not give a cause of death.

Tata was admitted this week to Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai, the city where he lives. The Tata Group issued a statement on Monday saying there was no reason to worry about his health and that he would be tested for age-related health problems.

Wishes spread from within

Prime Minister Modi described Tata as a visionary leader and a compassionate and extraordinary person.

“He has provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most respected business houses. At the same time, his contribution has extended beyond the realms of residence,” Modi said on social media platform X.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Tata left behind an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy and was instrumental in mentoring and developing modern business leadership in India.

“He was very concerned about making India better,” Photosi told X.

Cornell University, where Tata earned a bachelor’s degree in architecture, said he is “its most generous international donor.”

“We will remember his legacy of giving to Cornell,” the university told X.

A long legacy of the Tata Group

The Tata Group is a growing conglomerate of nearly 100 companies, including Tata Motors, the country’s largest conglomerate; Tata Steel, the largest private steel company; Tata Power; and information technology company Tata Consultancy Services. They employ over 350,000 people worldwide with a presence in over 100 countries.

Its products are ubiquitous in Indian homes and include daily necessities such as salt, tea and mineral water.

In June 2008, Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for US$2.3 billion. Last year, it took over British-based steelmaker Corus for $12 billion. At that time, Corus’ annual steel production was four times higher than Tata Steel.

The Tata Group pioneered commercial aviation in India by launching the airline in 1932 which later became Air India. The government took it later. The Tata Group then bought Air India from the government in 2021. It also started a full-service carrier, Vistara, with Singapore Airlines, but recently merged it with Air India.

In 2009, the company surprised the auto industry when it launched the Tata Nano, a small rear-engined car priced at around 100,000 rupees (then around $2,000 US). Advertised as a “People’s Car,” it can seat five adults. Ratan Tata said at the time that it would provide “safe, affordable, all-weather transportation” to millions of middle- and low-income Indian consumers.

However, due to low sales, the company stopped production of the small car in 2018.

Ratan Tata joined the Tata Group in 1961 and succeeded JRD Tata as chairman after his retirement in 1991.

That followed the liberalization of India’s economy in 1990, which brought major economic reforms and international investment into the country.

In December 2012, Tata retired as the chairman of the Tata Group. He served briefly as interim chairman from October 2016 following Cyrus Mistry’s ouster. He came out of retirement in 2017, when Chandrasekaran was appointed chairman of the Tata Group.

Tata never married and is survived by his brother, two sisters and a brother.