Ratan Tata, the man who put India on the global map, dies at 86

Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group chairman who put the Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, has died, the Tata Group said in a statement late on Wednesday. He was 86.

Tata, who ran the conglomerate for more than 20 years as chairman, had been undergoing intensive care in a Mumbai hospital.

“It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation,” Tata Group said in a statement.

Tributes and condolence messages started pouring in as soon as the news of Tata’s demise broke.

“Ratan Tata was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being. Extremely pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers in this sad hour,” said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Former Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi said, “Ratan Tata was a man with a vision. He has left a lasting mark on both business and philanthropy. My condolences to his family and the Tata community.

In 1991, Ratan Tata took the helm of the conglomerate when his uncle J R D Tata stepped down and ushered in an era of high growth for the company.

“With the demise of Mr Ratan Tata, India has lost one of her most illustrious and kind-hearted sons. Mr Tata took India to the world and brought the best of the world to Bharat. He institutionalised the House of Tata and made it an international enterprise growing the Tata group over 70 times since the time he took over as Chairman in 1991,” Mukesh Ambani, chairman of the Reliance Industries Ltd said in a statement.

After he stepped back from the Tata Group, Ratan Tata supported many Indian startups as an investor including digital payments firm Paytm, Ola Electric, Urban Company among many others.

Among his many awards, Ratan Tata received the Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, in 2008 for exceptional and distinguished service in trade and industry.