&w=1024&resize=1024,0&ssl=1 "Politicians, film stars: who queues up to say goodbye to Ratan Tata | Company News")
Industrialists, politicians, film stars, Tata Group employees, friends, family and admirers – in their thousands – lined up since Thursday morning at the National Center for Performing Arts (NCPA) at 86 Nariman Point to pay their last tributes to Ratan Tata. The patriarch and chairman emeritus of the software company died on Wednesday night at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai, where he was admitted on Monday morning.
Crowds began gathering outside the hospital on Wednesday night as news broke that Tata, a household name, was in critical condition in the intensive care unit. Soon after the Tata group made the late-night announcement, tributes started pouring in from across the country and around the world. Leaders and businesspeople spoke of Tata's intelligence for his worldview, his generosity, his contributions outside the boardroom and his love of dogs. Questions have arisen in television studios and newsrooms about the legacy and next chapter of the Tata empire. The biggest question was whether Noel Tata, chairman of Trent and half-brother of Ratan Tata, would be chosen to head Tata Trust, which owns 66% of Tata Sons. But this was a day to mourn the death of the titan who presided over India's largest business group for more than two decades, and also to celebrate the legacy he left behind.
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As the final journey began, from his home in Colaba to the NCPA at Nariman Point, Tata's body – draped in the tricolor – was escorted by the Mumbai police band. The cremation took place with full state honors and a gun salute at Mumbai's Worli Crematorium. As VVIPs gathered there to pay their respects, the gates of the crematorium were opened to hundreds of emotional employees moments later amid Tata slogans.
Home Minister Amit Shah represented the central government at the funeral, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on an official visit to Laos. Laying wreaths, Shah said he joined millions of Indians in mourning the tragic death of Ratan Tata.
“Tata led the Tata Group with clean corporate governance, played by the rules and strived to build a better society through Tata Trusts. Ratan Tata ji’s legacy will guide those leading the country’s industrial sector for a long time,” Shah said.
Earlier in the evening, the prime minister said in a statement that Tata was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.
Among those present at Tata's funeral were Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, Minister -Andhra Pradesh chief Chandrababu Naidu and Reserve Bank of India governor Shaktikanta Das. Captains of industry including Mukesh Ambani, Kumar Mangalam Birla and Adi Godrej were also there. Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran and Noel Tata were seen interacting with dignitaries. Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, film star Aamir Khan and filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar also joined in to pay their respects.
Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was cremated in September 2022 at the same crematorium here. Ratan Tata and Mistry
A bitter legal battle ensued, culminating in a Supreme Court ruling in favor of the Tatas. Shapoorji Mistry, chairman of SP Group, which owns 18.4 percent stake in Tata Sons, said on Thursday that the Mistry family has a long-standing relationship with the Tata Group and 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 the Maharashtra government declared a day of mourning on Thursday, the national flag was flown at half-mast at all government buildings in the state. On a day when the world saw the end of an era, Maharashtra Chief Minister Shinde requested the Center to posthumously confer India's highest civilian honour, 'Bharat Ratna', on Tata.
In his latest social media post on Monday, reacting to media reports that he was very ill and admitted to the ICU at Breach Candy, Ratan Tata assured the nation that he had visited the hospital for regular check-ups. “Thank you for thinking of me,” he said. Within a week, his fans thanked Tata as they bid him farewell.
(He) was instrumental in guiding and developing modern business leadership in India.”
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