Ratan Tata, the former chairman of India’s Tata Sons, died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night. He is 86 years old.
N Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, confirmed Tata’s death and described Tata as his “friend, mentor and guide” in a statement. He did not provide a cause of death.
Tata was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai, where he lives, this week. Shortly after Tata was hospitalized, he issued a statement on Monday saying there was no reason to worry about his health and that he was being tested for an age-related medical condition.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tata as a visionary leader, a compassionate and extraordinary person.
“He has provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious businesses. At the same time, his contributions extend far beyond the boardroom,” Modi said on X.
“Tata was loved by many for his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to making our society a better place,” Modi said of his charity work.
Industrialist Harsh Goenka calls him a “giant”.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Ratan Tata left a remarkable business and philanthropic legacy and played an important role in guiding and developing India’s modern business leadership.
“My last meeting with Ratan Tata was in Googlewe talked about Waymo’s progress and it was inspiring to hear his vision,” Pichai said on X.
“He cared deeply about making India a better place,” he said.
Mukesh Ambani, Chairman and Managing Director of Reliance Industries, said: “This is a very sad day for India and Indian companies. The death of Ratan Tata is not just for the Tata Group but for everyone. It is a huge loss for every Indian.
“He’s gone and all we can do is follow his example,” Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said on X.
Tata received the Padma Bhushan Award, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000 and the ‘Padma Vibhushan’ Award in 2008,
The Tata Group is a vast conglomerate of nearly 100 companies, including the country’s largest automaker, the largest private steel company and a leading outsourcing company. These companies employ more than 350,000 people worldwide. In June 2008, Tata acquired Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion.
(In an exclusive interview in 2013, Christine Tan asked Ratan Tata, the billionaire behind India’s Tata Sons, whether Tata paid too much for the Corus.)
Tata founded an airline in 1932 that later became Air India, pioneering commercial aviation in India. Later the government took it over.
The Tata Group acquired state-owned Air India in 2021.
Tata companies include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power, and information technology company Tata Consultancy Services.
In 2009, the company surprised the auto industry with the launch of the Tata Nano, a rear-engine microcar priced around 100,000 rupees ($2,000 at the time). It’s billed as a “people’s car” and can accommodate up to five adults. Ratan Tata has said it will provide “safe, affordable, all-weather transportation” to millions of low- and middle-income Indian consumers.
However, due to low sales of the subcompact car, the company stopped production in 2018.
Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He joined the Tata Group in 1961 and succeeded JRD Tata as chairman of Tata Sons after JRD Tata retired in 1991.
In December 2012, Tata retired as chairman of Tata Sons. He briefly served as interim chairman from October 2016 after his successor, Cyrus Mistry, stepped down. Natarajan Chandrasekaran came out of retirement in 2017 when he was appointed chairman of the Tata Group.
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