Visionary, an inspiration: India Inc mourns demise of nation's Ratan

Ratan Tata was at the helm of the widely known Tata Group for 21 years between 1991 and 2012, and under him, the group's profits rose by 50 times

Industry bodies and eminent industrialists of India on Thursday expressed grief over the death of Padma Vibhushan and chairman emeritus of Tata Group Ratan Tata, remembering him as a kind and gracious personality, who was an inspiration for the country’s entrepreneurs.

Tata passed away at the age of 86 on Wednesday night in Mumbai.

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in a statement, said that he was “kind, soft and gracious”. Tata was a member of CII's national council for almost two decades.

Sanjiv Puri, president, Confederation of Indian Industry, said, "I personally learnt a lot from him. His humility, integrity and compassionate values will be a beacon for future generations. He stood as a tall mentor and guide for all of us in Indian industry and inspired us to reach for the best. His invaluable legacy will inspire us for all time to come. My deepest condolences to his loved ones and the members of the Tata family".

 

“With his innate passion for societal good, he led CII’s establishment of the India Business Trust for AIDS which received high global acclaim,” said Chandrajit Banerjee, director general at CII.

“His leadership to Indian industry to globalise, to be competitive and responsible would be remembered forever. He headed CII’s delegations overseas and led discussions for Indian Industry to establish credibility and demonstrate confidence. CII would forever be indebted to his contribution,” he added.

Another industry body, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), said that the void left by Tata's passing will be “hard to fill”.

“FICCI remembers Mr Ratan Tata not just as a successful businessman but as a role model who embodied the values of integrity, humility, and social responsibility,” said Anish Shah, president at FICCI.

Also Read: Ratan Tata timeline: Major moments in the life of the business leader

“His vision of ethical capitalism and his efforts to use business as a force for societal good have inspired generations of entrepreneurs and corporate leaders,” he added.

Tata was at the helm of the widely known Tata Group for 21 years between 1991 and 2012. Under him, the group's profits rose by 50 times. The group's reach was global due to brands like Tata Steel, Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley Tea, but the group's impact domestically was greater.

For the average Indian, Tata Salt, Tata Tea, Titan, and Tanishq were synonymous with homegrown yet high-quality products.

“His life would be an inspiration for India's entrepreneurs to think and go global, retaining an unblemished reputation and very high standard of corporate governance,” said Deepak Sood, secretary general at Assocham.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, issued a statement mourning Tata's death.

“At a personal level, the passing of Ratan Tata has filled me with immense grief as I lost a dear friend. Each of my numerous interactions with him left me inspired and energised and enhanced my respect for the nobility of his character and the fine human values he embodied,” he said.

“Ratan Tata was a visionary industrialist and a philanthropist, who always strove for society's greater good,” he added.

Gautam Adani, chairman of Adani Group, also took to social media to express his grief. “Legends like him never fade away,” he wrote.

"India has lost a giant, a visionary who redefined modern India's path. Ratan Tata wasn't just a business leader - he embodied the spirit of India with integrity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to the greater good. Legends like him never fade away. Om Shanti," he said.

Kumar Mangalam Birla, chairman, Aditya Birla Group, said, "Over the decades, generations of my family and I have had close ties with the institution of Tata. Ratan Tata epitomised the finest ideals of the storied Tata Group.”

“Through his career and actions, he unfailingly demonstrated that business, at its best, is both a vehicle for economic strength and a catalyst for societal progress. His decisions have impacted lives and industries far beyond financial metrics. His legacy will inspire future generations of Indians to pursue success with integrity. India and India Inc have lost a true visionary,” he said.

Tata was also a supporter of young entrepreneurs. He backed over 50 startups including Lenskart, Ola Electric, Zivame, Paytm and his favourite, Goodfellows.