Ratan Tata Death: Mumbai Declares Day Of Mourning, Amit Shah, CM Shinde Join Procession To Crematorium

Mumbai was in mourning on Thursday as a sea of people gathered to pay their last respects to veteran industrialist and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata. Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were among those who joined the procession taking the national icon’s hearse to the Parsi crematorium in Worli.

Tata’s coffin, draped in an Indian flag, was flanked by a guard of honour with a marching band of trumpets and drums accompanying the procession. The hundreds who queued up to pay their respects included a mix of ordinary mourners, high-profile business leaders, politicians, Tata employees and film stars.

His younger brother, Jimmy Naval Tata, paid his respects at the funeral while his stepmother, Simone Tata, was present for the final rites. Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani and Founder-Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani were also present at the funeral service.

In a tribute to his trademark modesty and enduring love for dogs, his pets and office dog companion also joined the mourners. The crowds that gathered at the lawns of the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) hailed him as a “titan” who led one of the country’s biggest conglomerates.

Tata’s mortal remains were kept at the NCPA for the public to pay respects from around 10.30 am to 3.55 pm. He was given a ceremonial guard of honour by the Mumbai Police at the Parsi crematorium for the final rites.

Shah and Shinde were joined by Union Minister Piyush Goyal, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Gujarat CM Bhupendra Patel and other leaders for the last rites.

“Have joined millions of Indians to grieve the sad demise of Ratan Tata Ji. Also laid a wreath on behalf of PM Narendra Modi. Ratan Tata Ji will always be remembered as a beacon of patriotism and integrity…” Shah wrote on social media.

Union Minister Piyush Goyal said: “He took it upon himself as a challenge and a national duty to revive Air India. He guided the board…Now their bold move to merge Vistara and Air India is truly remarkable. I acknowledge and thank Ratan Tata and Tata Group. I am a regular Air India traveller and I am sure the ‘Maharaja’ will be in action as they are getting their new planes coming into service…”

A visionary and prominent philanthropist, the 86-year-old died late on Wednesday (October 9) at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. There is no information yet on the cause of his death, but he was hospitalised since October 7 after a sudden drop in blood pressure and was in the intensive care unit.

His death was condoled by President Droupadi Murmu, who said India has lost an icon “who blended corporate growth with nation building, and excellence with ethics” while Prime Minister Narendra Modi called him “a visionary business soul and an extraordinary human being”.

Ratan Tata led the Tata Group from March 1991 to December 2012 as chairman of Tata Sons, which is the holding company of the salt-to-steel conglomerate. He took the Tata Group to new heights and, thanks to him, it is now worth more than $365 billion (Rs 30.7 lakh crore approx) as on March 31, 2024.

The man who launched the Tata Nano in 2009 – touted as the “People’s Car” – was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008. The loss of one of India’s pioneers, who shaped the country’s corporate landscape across industrial sectors from steel to civil aviation and hospitality to consumer products, will be deeply felt.