Ratan Tata's Journey Ends, Tata Group's Visionary Leader Passes Away at 86

Ratan Naval Tata, veteran industrialist and Tata Group’s chairman emeritus, passed away at a Mumbai hospital due to age-related health conditions. He was 86. The Padma Vibhushan awardee breathed his last at south Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital at 11.30 pm on Wednesday. He had been in intensive care at the hospital since Monday. A top official of the Mumbai police was the first to inform of his death, followed by a confirmation by Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran who called Tata "a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation". The last rites of the illustrious industrialist will be performed with full state honours, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday. In a post on X, Shinde said Tata was a unique blend of morality and entrepreneurship. "He was a living legend who successfully helmed the 150-year-old Tata group. Ratan ji Tata’s mortal remains will be accorded a state funeral,” Shinde added. Talking to reporters, the Chief Minister later said Tata's relatives have informed that the veteran industrialist's mortal remains will be kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai from 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday for people to pay respect. The Maharashtra government has also declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to Tata, who was chairman of the salt to software group for more than two decades. Describing Tata as the pride of the country, Shinde said he will always be an inspiration to the next generation of entrepreneurs. "The resoluteness he displayed during the 26/11 terror attack will always be remembered," the chief minister said. The Tata Group’s Taj Hotel at Colaba was one of the targets of terrorists during the November 2008 attack.