The Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons and recipient of India’s second highest civilian honour, Padma Vibhushan, Ratan Tata passed away on Wednesday at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital. He was 86 years old. Tata was in a critical condition and was under intensive care. Tata had said on Monday that he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age and related medical conditions.
Maharashtra government has declared a day of mourning in the state to pay tributes to industrialist Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister’s office said. A statement quoting Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said the national tricolour on government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on October 10 as a sign of mourning. Tata’s mortal remains is being kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai from 10 am to 4 pm and his last rites will be performed in Worli area of Mumbai later in the day. Union Home Minister Amit Shah will attend the last rites.
In 2008, he received the Padma Vibhushan, the second highest civilian honour in India, after receiving the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian honour in 2000. He joined Tata in 1961, where he worked on the shop floor of Tata Steel. He later succeeded J R D Tata as chairman of Tata Sons upon the latter’s retirement in 1991. Under his tenure the Tata Group acquired Tetley, Jaguar Land Rover, and Corus, in an attempt to turn Tata from a largely India-centric group into a global business.