Ratan Tata died at the age of 86 in Mumbai on Wednesday. The industrialist was recognised for his integrity, ethical leadership and commitment to philanthropy, making him an iconic figure both in India and internationally. Following his demise, several people whose lives he impacted in large and small ways paid tribute to the industrialist. Among them was Congress politician Gurdeep Singh Sappal, who shared a poignant memory of his meeting with the business tycoon. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Mr Sappal recounted a visit to Mr Tata’s home in Colaba, Mumbai. 

In his post, Mr Sappal recalled that in 2015, Ahmed Patel, the former veteran Congress leader, asked him to arrange a meeting with Mr Tata. “It was decided that both will meet at Ratan Tata’s Colaba residence in Mumbai. Accordingly, Ahmed Patel ji and I reached his house as per schedule, a house with seemingly middle-class furnishings! Mr Sappal wrote. 

Take a look at the post below: 

Some memories stay forever. Memory of one such meeting with Ratan Tata is etched in my mind.

It was in 2015. Ahmed Patel ji asked me to schedule an appointment with him. It was decided that both will meet at Ratan Tata’s Colaba residence in Mumbai.

Accordingly, Ahmed Patel ji… pic.twitter.com/Pty2AUzukv

— Gurdeep Singh Sappal (@gurdeepsappal) October 9, 2024

Mr Sappal said that he observed initial awkwardness between the two men, revealing they had never met personally before. He claimed that he was surprised to see the two men had never met before. “I was aghast to know that it was their first ever personal meeting! One was the amongst the top corporates of India and the other was one of the most powerful persons during UPA years! Yet they hadn’t met!” he wrote.

“This was unimaginable! But it explained the personalities of Ratan Tata and Ahmed Patel, both. Ratan Tata wasn’t a supplicant to political power and Ahmed Patel never used his power to force the top corporate to meet him! Such was the political decency of that era. My tributes to both of them, the two great Indians!” Mr Sappal posted. 

Also Read | Silicon Valley Exec Remembers Ratan Tata, Says He “Wouldn’t Be Here Without Him”

Several other social media users have also shared stories of their encounters with Ratan Tata in the hours after his death. A Silicon Valley executive paid a heartfelt tribute to the business tycoon, saying he “wouldn’t be here” had it not been for the billionaire. Taking to X, Arnav Sahu, a Principal at Y Combinator, said that Ratan Tata’s scholarship programme allowed him to study in the US and build a career in the land of opportunity. 

Notably, Mr Sahu is one of the students who benefited from Ratan Tata’s scholarship scheme which helped him pursue higher education at Cornell University – an Ivy League college in New York. 

Ratan Tata died at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital late last night at the age of 86. His death marks the end of an era in Indian business, where a man reshaped the country’s industrial landscape and catapulted his family-owned conglomerate into a global powerhouse.