Politicians to film stars: Who's who queue up to bid farewell to Ratan Tata

Within just a few hours, thousands of people lined up to pay their respects to Tata's remains

Industrialists, politicians, film stars, Tata group employees, friends, family members and admirers—running into thousands--queued up at the National Centre of Performing Arts (NCPA) at Nariman Point since Thursday morning to pay their last respects to Ratan Tata, 86. The patriarch and chairman emeritus of the salt-to-software conglomerate passed away late Wednesday night at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital, where he was admitted in the wee hours of Monday.

The crowd had started building up outside the hospital on Wednesday evening itself when news got out that Tata, who’s a household name, was critical in the intensive care unit. Soon after the Tata group made the announcement late night, rich tributes flowed in from across the country and around the world. Leaders and business honchos spoke about Tata’s acumen for his global vision, his generosity, his contributions beyond the boardroom and his love for dogs. In television studios and newsrooms, there were questions around succession and the next chapter in the Tata empire. The biggest question was whether Noel Tata, chairman of Trent and half brother of Ratan Tata, will be chosen as the head of Tata Trusts, which owns 66 per cent in Tata Sons. But this was a day to mourn the passing away of the titan who had presided over India’s largest corporate group for over two decades, and also to celebrate the legacy that he leaves behind.       
                            

As the last journey began, from his home in Colaba to NCPA in Nariman Point, Tata’s mortal remains--draped in tricolor—were escorted by the Mumbai police band. The last rites, with full state honours and gun salute, were performed at Mumbai’s Worli Crematorium. While VVIPs gathered there to pay their homage, the gates of the crematorium were thrown open to hundreds of emotionally charged employees after a while in the midst of Tata chants.    
 

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi was away on an official trip to Laos, Home Minister Amit Shah represented the Union government at the funeral. Laying a wreath, Shah said he joins millions of Indians to grieve the sad demise of Ratan Tata. 

“Tata led the Tata group with clean corporate governance, adhering to the rules, and made efforts to build a better society through the Tata Trusts. Ratan Tata Ji's legacy will continue to guide those who lead the industrial sector of the country for a long time to come,” Shah said.

The previous night, the PM had said in a statement that  Tata was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.

Among those attending the last rites of Tata were Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, and Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das. Captains of the industry including Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla, Adi Godrej were there too. Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and Noel Tata were seen interacting with the dignitaries. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, film star Aamir Khan and movie maker Madhur Bhandarkar also joined in to pay their tributes.

It was here at the same crematorium that the last rites of Cyrus Mistry, former chairman of Tata Sons, were performed in September 2022. Ratan Tata and Mistry      

had fought a bitter legal battle which culminated in the Supreme Court ruling in favour of the Tatas. Shapoorji Mistry, Chairman of SP Group, which owns 18.4 per cent stake in Tata Sons, said on Thursday that the Mistry family has had a long standing relationship with the Tata Group and with Ratan Tata. “Tata’s unfortunate passing marks the end of an era. He will always be remembered as a leader who left a lasting mark on the evolution of the Tata Group,” he said.

As Maharashtra government declared Thursday a day of mourning, national flags flew at half mast in all government buildings in the state. On a day when the world watched the end of an era, Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde urged the Centre to posthumously award ‘Bharat Ratna’, India’s highest civilian honour, to Tata.

In his last social media post on Monday, reacting to media reports that he was very unwell and admitted into Breach Candy’s ICU, Ratan Tata had assured the nation that he had gone to the hospital for a regular check up. ‘’Thank you for thinking of me,’’ he had said. Within a week, his admirers were thanking Tata while bidding him farewell. 

Paying tributes

One of the most unique aspects of Shri Ratan TataJi was his passion towards dreaming big and giving back “

Narendra Modi, Prime Minister

 

...A leader par excellence, visionary industrialist, and philanthropist “

Nirmala Sitharaman, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs


 

There are two things that stand out about Ratan Tata: First, he was a true visionary. Second, he was a strong believer in ethics in corporate governance”

Shaktikanta Das, RBI Governor

 

Mr Tata took  India to the world and brought the best of the world to Bharat”

Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director, Reliance Industries

(He) was instrumental in mentoring and developing the modern business leadership in India”

Sundar Pichai, Alphabet CEO