Indian industrialist, Ratan Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a globally renowned conglomerate, has died at age 86, the company said late Wednesday. Under Tata, the company grew into a sprawling international enterprise with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars. “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.
“I extend our condolences to his loved ones. His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he so passionately championed,” company chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, said in a statement. Tributes quickly started pouring in from India and beyond.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Tata “a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.” The PM praised Tata for providing “stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses.” He said in a post on X that he was “extremely pained” by Tata’s passing and offered his condolences to the deceased’s friends and family.
Born in 1937 in Bombay, now Mumbai, Tata originally planned to be an architect and was working in the United States when his grandmother — who raised him — asked him to return home and join the sprawling family business. He started in 1962 at Tisco, now known as Tata, staying in a hostel .