New Delhi:

In a heartfelt tribute to the late industrialist Ratan Tata, RPG Group Chairman Harsh Goenka shared a picture of a handwritten note, penned by Ratan Tata in 1996, addressed to former Prime Minister PV Narasimha Rao. In a letter, Mr Tata expressed his respect for Mr Rao’s “outstanding achievement” in heralding much-needed economic reforms in India.

Former Prime Minister Narasimha Rao is often called the ‘Father of Indian Economic Reforms’ for changing the face of India’s economy in 1996 and leading it on the path of recovery and transformation.

Lauding Mr Rao for making India, a part of the global community, Mr Tata wrote, “Every Indian should owe you a debt of gratitude for the courageous and far-sighted “opening up” of India.”

The letter serves as a reminder of Mr Tata’s unwavering commitment to India’s progress.

While sharing the letter, Mr Goenka wrote, “Beautiful writing from a beautiful person….”

Beautiful writing from a beautiful person…. pic.twitter.com/AOxJPmVqNL

— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) October 15, 2024

Read the letter:

August 27, 1996

Dear Mr. Narasimha Rao,

As I read the recent spate of unkind references to you, I felt compelled to write you to tell you that while others’ memories may be short, I will always recognize and respect your outstanding achievement in heralding much-needed economic reforms in India. You and your government put India on the world map in an economic sense and made us part of a global community. Every Indian should owe you a debt of gratitude for the courageous and far-sighted “opening up” of India. I believe personally that your achievements are momentous and outstanding – and they should never be forgotten.

The purpose of this letter is just to tell you that my thoughts and best wishes are with you at this time, and that you can have at least one person who has not, and will never, forget what you have done for India.

With warm personal regards,

Yours sincerely,

Ratan

The letter categorically calls it out as “personal”. It was written on August 27, 1996, on a sheet of paper from Bombay House, the head office of Tata Group.

Mumbai:

Until Wednesday, 39-year-old Harikesh Singh thought the COVID-19 pandemic was the cruelest blow he had faced. His newspaper distribution business suffered badly after the lockdown, and there were long days of uncertainty.

But the death of his favourite customer who subscribed to no less than 14 newspapers makes him rethink which was the stronger blow: the pandemic, or the death of Ratan Tata.

“He was a very good man, a messiah for the poor,” Mr Singh, who delivered newspapers for Tata for nearly two decades, told PTI.

When his association with India’s favourite industrialist started in 2001, Tata’s address was an apartment in Colaba’s Bakhtavar building. Later it shifted to Halekai, a private bungalow next to it.

Mr Singh remembers the sight of Tata sitting in the garden of the bungalow in the mornings, reading the newspapers he had delivered, and the smiling face.

Ratan Tata would wave at him, and sometimes ask how he was doing. These brief exchanges are etched in his mind, Mr Singh said.

Some years ago, when a relative was diagnosed with cancer, Ratan Tata immediately helped Mr Singh with a letter to the Tata Memorial Centre for quick treatment, and also gave Rs 5 lakh.

But the pandemic changed the reading habits of Ratan Tata too. The household stopped taking newspapers, Mr Singh said, adding that Tata started getting only two newspapers which came in a paper bag from the nearby Tata Group-run Taj Mahal Hotel.

On Thursday, Mr Singh finished his newspaper deliveries a bit early and joined hundreds of others who lined up in the Colaba bylane to bid final farewell to the most illustrious person in the neighbourhood.

Hussain Shaikh, 57, was in the same crowds. He had come all the way from the distant suburb of Andheri.

Mr Shaikh used to occasionally clean Ratan Tata’s favourite Mercedes Benz for years. When his daughter got married, Ratan Tata gave him Rs 50,000 through a staff member in the house.

Mr Hussain used to work at the nearby President House from 1993 where he got the chance to work for the Tatas.

The last time he met Ratan Tata was 15 years ago, he said, and added that every person in the crowd has his or her own personal connection with Ratan Tata that made them travel on a workday to pay their last respects.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, got the reins of Tata Group in March 1991. Almost three decades ago, in 1997, Ratan Tata appeared on the show ‘Rendezvous with Simi Garewal’ where he revealed how the takeover happened. JRD Tata was suffering from heart disease and was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai when he broke the news and asked Ratan Tata to take over.

“We were in Jamshedpur together for a function and I had to go to Stuttgart for some negotiations. When I came back, I heard he had a heart problem and he was in Breach Candy Hospital. He was there a week and I’d see him every day. He was out on a Friday and the following Monday, I went to see him in the office,” Ratan Tata recalled.

Narrating the incident, he added, “He would always start meeting by asking, ‘Well, what’s new?’ And I said, ‘J I’d been seeing you every day, there is nothing new since I saw you last.’ He said, ‘Well, I have something that is new that I want to tell you. Sit down. What has happened to me in Jamshedpur has made me think that I need to step down and I have decided that you should take my place.’ After a few days, he took it to the board.”

While Ratan Tata didn’t remember the date the news was broken to the board, Simi Garewal suggested it was March 25, 1991.

Further narrating the scene from the boardroom when “history was created” and how everyone “was moved”, he said, “I have heard many of my colleagues say that there was a history that day because apart from the fact that he was stepping down from a position that he had held for 40 to 50 years, there was a lot of emotion attached to his giving up this position in favour of someone. But the history and emotion that everyone talks about is not that move.”

JRD Tata revisited all the years he had put into the business. “He reminisced through years at that meeting and I can’t reproduce any of that emotionally or otherwise but that meeting went on like an archival recount of all his days in Tata. Never his own praise but his experiences as he went through. There was history that day and we all came out very moved.”

It was the end of an era and at the same time, the beginning of a new one.

When asked what he learned from JRD Tata, which he carries with him, Ratan Tata said, it is his sense of justice which was prevalent. “His value system, his simplicity, and his sense of justice have stayed with me and I hope I can emulate them even half.”

Ratan Tata, 86, died on Wednesday night. He was admitted to Mumbai’s Breach Candy hospital in a critical condition, where he breathed his last. Ever since then, his previous interviews have been doing rounds on the internet.

People queue up to pay homage to Ratan Tata at the NCPA lawns in Mumbai on October 10, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini

Senior politicians, industrialists, and celebrities joined thousands of mourners, including Tata employees and regular Mumbaikars, in bidding farewell to Ratan Tata, one of India’s corporate giants, as his mortal remains were cremated with full State honours in India’s financial capital on Thursday.

Mr. Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, died late on October 9, at the age of 86.

Union Ministers Amit Shah, and Piyush Goyal; Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar; Opposition leaders Sharad Pawar, Supriya Sule, Uddhav Thackeray, and Raj Thackeray; industrialists Mukesh Ambani, Kumaramangalam Birla, and Harsh Goenka; Tata Group chairperson N. Chandrasekaran, and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das were among those who paid their last tributes at the Worli crematorium and the National Centre for Performing Arts where his body was kept earlier in the day.

State funeral

The industrialist’s mortal remains were brought to the crematorium in a van decorated with white flowers, while his coffin was draped in the Indian flag. Mr. Tata’s family, including his stepbrother Noel Tata, and other male members of the Parsi community wore traditional Parsi pagadis (caps), while the women wore scarves to honour him. Mumbai police paid tribute with a three-volley gun salute and a ceremonial guard of honour as part of the State respects. Several States announced a day of official mourning, including Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

“Shri Ratan Tata ji was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul, an extraordinary human being. He provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said in a post on X. “At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom. He endeared himself to several people, thanks to his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to making our society better.”

Follow LIVE updates from Ratan Tata’s funeral on October 10, 2024

‘Strong believer in ethics’

The RBI Governor was among the first to pay homage at the NCPA lawns on Thursday morning. “I was here to pay my respects to the departed soul. There are two things that stand out about Ratan Tata – the first thing was that he was a true visionary. The second thing was that he was a strong believer in ethics in corporate governance. Whenever the economic history of modern India is written, I will feel that a full volume will not be enough to describe his achievements. A truly towering personality, a great son of India, a phenomenal person,” Mr. Das said.

“Tata’s legacy will remain as an inspiration for all business leaders in the years to come,” said the Home Minister. “He will continue to be a role model for all business leaders. As chairman of the Tata Group, Ratan Tata brought reform to its working ethos and helped it grow into a formidable industrial group while following all rules and regulations. Every time I met him, his zeal and commitment to the betterment of Bharat and its people amazed me,” Mr. Shah said.

Mr. Chandrasekaran, who became the first professionally selected chairman of Tata Sons with Mr. Tata’s backing said he considered him a “mentor, guide, and friend”. He was present throughout the last rites, consoling bereaved family members.

Reliance Group head Mukesh Ambani came to pay tribute with his wife Nita Ambani and daughter Isha Ambani. Cricketer Ravi Shastri was one of the celebrities who came to pay homage.

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Published – October 10, 2024 10:45 pm IST

A private security guard walks outside the closed Tata Motors Nano car factory in Singur in this April 27, 2011.
| Photo Credit: Reuters

On October 3, 2008, under the pressure of relentless protests, Ratan Tata announced the decision to pull out from the plan to set up a small car factory at Singur in West Bengal’s Hooghly district. Ever since, the State has been struggling to shed its anti-industry image and attract big-ticket business investments. One of the iconic business leaders of the country, the former Tata Group chairman, who died on Wednesday night (October 9), has had an enduring impact on the State’s politics and economy.

For over two decades, the State politics remains hinged on the question whether forcing Tata Motors out of Singur by protests against forcible land acquisition made much of an economic sense. When Tata Motors made the proposal, under Mr. Tata’s leadership, to set up the car factory, it provided a hope for many in West Bengal at a time the State was grappling with flight of capital for decades.

At his first press conference after the Communist Party of India (Marxist)-led Left Front came to power for the seventh consecutive time in the State in 2006, then Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee announced the setting up of Tata Motors car factory at Singur. Mr. Bhattacharjee, who passed away on August 8 this year, was close to Mr. Tata and seemed to be in a hurry to bring in big-ticket investments to the State.

Following the announcement, there was a widespread perception that the Communist government was forcibly acquiring multi-crop agricultural land for industry, and the Left parties paid a dear price by losing their 34-year-old grip on the State.

In 2011, when Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress defeated the Left Front, in her first media interaction, Ms. Banerjee announced that the land parcels of farmers acquired for the car factory at Singur would be returned to them. The 997-acre land was handed over to famers in 2016 after the Supreme Court declared the land acquisition illegal.

Ms. Banerjee, who has started blaming the CPI(M) for the industrial debacle of the State, was among the leaders to laud the contribution of Mr. Ratan Tata following his demise. “The former Chairman of Tata Group had been a foremost leader of Indian industries and a public-spirited philanthropist. His demise will be an irreparable loss for the Indian business world and society,” she posted on social media.

Senior CPI(M) leader Rabin Deb, who contested the 2016 Assembly polls from Singur Assembly seat, said, “The ghost of Singur continues to haunt West Bengal even after so many years. For both Mr. Tata and Buddhadeb babu, the setback at Singur was personal. It pushed the State into a situation where it has become difficult to attract any business,” Mr. Deb said.

Recalling what the former Tata Group chairman had said while pulling out of Singur, Mr. Deb said, “He was so confident about the setting up the plant that he had said he would not budge even if someone put a gun to his head, but in the end, he said ‘the trigger has been pulled’.”

Even after the Singur setback, the veteran industrialist, who has left an indelible mark on the Indian industry, continued to attend corporate events in the State. He believed in the potential of West Bengal, and several companies of the Tata Group continued to make investments in the real estate and hospitality sector in the State.

At an annual general meeting of Tata Global Beverages Limited which Ratan Tata attended in 2012, he indicated that he had not given up on West Bengal. “There could be a Tata Motors factory in West Bengal in future. Who knows,” he had said.

Ratan Tata at the National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bengaluru, February 2002.
| Photo Credit: NCBS Archives

With the passing of Ratan Tata, we have lost—in addition to an industrial tycoon—a philanthropist who went for the long haul and was a calming influence amidst the turmoil and uncertainties of the everyday. At the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR), we saw this in action over decades, beginning in the 1990s.

The TIFR was founded by Dr Homi Bhabha and is anchored in a tripartite agreement between the Dorabji Tata Trust, the Government of Maharashtra and the Government of India. The representatives of all three are on its Council of Management, with the chair usually from the Dorabji Tata Trust. Ratan Tata took on this position in the early 1990s, succeeding J. J. Bhabha (who briefly succeeded J. R. D. Tata). The Government of India almost entirely funds the TIFR through the Department of Atomic Energy. Therefore, it is unusual for the Chairmanship of the Council of Management to be assigned to the Tata Trust. This role involves tightrope walking of a kind where one false step can plunge the institution into an abyss of stasis at best, and deep crises at worst. Mr. Tata walked this path astutely for over 30 years, making sure and insisting on compliance with financial and administrative rules on one hand, yet demanding flexibility for science and encouraging ambition on the other. He was personally accessible to the TIFR Directors and Registrars—a requirement of his role—but he was also available on the phone or in-person to those in TIFR centres as they grew. In particular, Professors Govind Swarup (who established the Radio Astronomy programmes), Professor Obaid Siddiqi (who founded the National Centre for Biological Sciences; NCBS) and Professor B.M. Udgaonkar (who established the Homi Bhabha Center for Science Education) benefited greatly from these interactions. They went into meetings concerned, or even stressed, about a problem and came out reassured and optimistic. Stay calm, do not hurry, and do not waver from what you think is right, was his uniform advice.

The TIFR Council meeting held on November 15, 1995 was significant as it approved the creation of a separate faculty for NCBS, allowing it to function more autonomously while adhering to TIFR’s rules and bylaws. This meeting was part of the broader development efforts to strengthen NCBS as a research hub in the biological sciences under the TIFR umbrella.

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Published – October 10, 2024 08:24 pm IST

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.

FILE PHOTO: Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, gestures during the annual general meeting of Tata Steel Ltd., in Mumbai, India August 13, 2010. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui/File Photo
| Photo Credit: DANISH SIDDIQUI

The demise of industrialist Ratan Tata has shattered the people of Jamshedpur, named after Tata Group’s founding father Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata.

Ratan Tata (1937-2024): In-depth coverage

Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has declared a day of mourning on Thursday as a mark of respect to the departed soul.

Jamshedpur, popularly known as ‘Tatanagar’, located deep in India’s tribal heartland in Jharkhand, developed due to the visions of Mr. Tata who took Jamshedpur not only out of India but placed it on the global map.

For the people of Jamshedpur, Tata does not mean a company but it has given them identity. The employees in the Tata company remembered him with profound grief.

A resident of Jamshedpur, Ram Mohan Singh, who retired in September after working in Tata Steel for 42 years, closely remembered Mr. Tata who first visited Jamshedpur in 1963 to look into how Tata Steel works.

‘Death a big setback’

“Every year he used to visit Jamshedpur on March 3 to mark the birth anniversary of J.N Tata. Whenever a new plant was being set up he used to visit Jamshedpur. He was not only the guardian of the company but also the guardian for the employees,” Mr. Singh, who retired from Learning and Development, told The Hindu over phone. He said the death of the visionary was a big setback for the Tata group and in near future nobody could take his place.

Mr. Singh pointed out that during the COVID pandemic, the top management was mulling to cut down employees but somehow Mr. Tata came to know of it and issued the order that there would not be any retrenchment and he would continue to pay them, terming it Tata culture.

Mr. Tata, who became the chairman of Tata Steel in 1993, visited the city regularly. His last visit was in March 2021 to attend the 182nd Founder’s Day celebrations.

Another resident of Jamshedpur and employee of the company in Automation Department, Santosh Prasad Jaiswal, working in the company for the past 34 years, said he had got the opportunity to meet him thrice. First in 1999 at Singapore’s Changi airport while going to Japan for the company’s work and twice in 2000 and 2003 in Jamshedpur.

“The first meeting was incidental; however, the second one was more planned where I was among the five persons who gave a presentation during his visit for the inauguration of the cold rolling mill project. In that function, he was not scheduled to speak, however he became so emotional that he requested the then MD of Tata Steel J. J. Irani to speak for a few minutes. Tata company had no experience of cold rolling, and the top management was doubtful of its success. In the speech, he said that “I have read the eyes of the people and going back with the assurance that this project will succeed,” Mr. Jaiswal said.

He said, “In March, 2003, there were some features added in that project and he [Mr. Tata] wanted to see the operation of the machine. I still remember his famous quote which is very meaningful. He said “I never believe in making the right decision, I take decisions and make all efforts to make it right.”

It is Tata Steel that developed the country’s first industrial city at Jamshedpur, which was a part of undivided Bihar. When Mr. Tata took over the company, the production of steel was 2 MT and now it has reached to 12 MT.

Another employee Bamdeo Mishra said, “His name is Ratan but we all call him ratn [gemstone]. It is really sad that during the Durga Puja time we have to go through this emotional phase.”

Families watching the Puja Pandal in Jamshedpur returned home halfway after listening to the sad demise and many puja pandal organisers playing the songs stopped the music.

Jamshedpur Utility Services Company Limited (JUSCO) Shramik Union President Raghunath Pandey demanded Bharat Ratna for Mr. Tata, saying he had made huge contribution in building the nation and generating employment. 

Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India’s biggest conglomerates, Tata Sons, died on Wednesday in Mumbai after a long ailment. The 86-year-old was recognised for his integrity, ethical leadership and commitment to philanthropy, making him an iconic figure both in India and internationally. The business tycoon also played a key role in promoting mental well-being. He was an early advocate of corporate wellness programmes, understanding the importance of mental health in driving workplace productivity. As a chairman of Tata Group, he also fostered a work culture that prioritised employee health and happiness. 

Now, on the occasion of World Mental Health Day today, October 10, it is fitting to reflect on the contributions of Ratan Tata as the champion of mental well-being. 

One of his most significant contributions to mental health was via Tata Trusts, the philanthropic arm of Tata Group. Under his leadership, Tata Trusts initiated its work in mental healthcare and spearheaded several initiatives aimed at improving mental healthcare accessibility in India. This came at a time when there was very little recognition of the burden of mental disorders and a poor understanding of wellbeing and its impact on overall health. 

One of the main programmes under Ratan Tata’s leadership was the Trusts’ Udaan initiative – a mental health programme launched in 2016. According to the official site, Udaan focuses on rehabilitating individuals with mental disabilities through institutional reform and community-based mental health services. 

Udaan has recently undertaken two “large and path-breaking” programmes in collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra as well. First, through Udaan, the Trusts’ effort is to offer an alternative narrative in the global mental health space through systematic and evidence-based reforms, repurposing the role of a psychiatric hospital to offer vulnerable people an important element of care that is otherwise not available in low-resource settings.

The second collaborative programme launched by Udaan is a district-wide community mental health programme for the district of Nagpur. This ambitious programme directly covers a population of five million people, providing mental health services at their doorstep. It aims to work with communities to build awareness on mental health, early detection of illness and to provide care closer to home.

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

Apart from this, Mr Tata is also known for his empathy and genuine concern for people’s well-being. He once said, “I don’t believe in work-life balance. I believe in work-life integration. Make your work and life meaningful and fulfilling, and they will complement each other.” 

He once also remarked, “One day you will realize that material things mean nothing. All that matters is the well-being of the people you love”. 

Now, as we remember Ratan Tata today, his legacy in mental health advocacy continues to inspire us. Apart from this, he will also be remembered for his significant contributions to the healthcare sector in India, supporting initiatives addressing maternal health, child health and the diagnosis and treatment of diseases like cancer, malaria and tuberculosis.

Mumbai:

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.

READ | Ratan Naval Tata: Industrialist, Philanthropist, And Indian Icon

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 Rs 165 crore hospital in Mumbai.

READ | The Jaguar Land Rover Story:  Ratan Tata’s ‘Revenge’ For Ford Snub

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.

READ | Ratan Tata, Industry Legend National Icon, Dies At 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…”

Thank you for thinking of me pic.twitter.com/MICi6zVH99

— Ratan N. Tata (@RNTata2000) October 7, 2024

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.

“I am unable to accept…” he said.

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