The funeral took place in Mumbai for Ratan Tata, the chairman of one of India’s largest companies, the Tata Group, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86.
Business leaders, politicians and celebrities were among the thousands of people who paid their last respects at the facility where his body was laid to rest before it was cremated.
The state of Maharashtra declared a day of mourning and his coffin was given a military salute as it was taken to the funeral.
Ratan Tata took over as chairman of the group in 1991 and is credited with turning it into a global powerhouse.
During his 20-year tenure, the conglomerate made several high-profile acquisitions, including the Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, UK-based Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley, the tea company. second largest in the world.
Tata was born into a Parsi family in 1937. He studied civil engineering at Cornell University in the US.
In 1962, he joined Tata Industries – the group’s promoter company – as an assistant and spent six months undergoing training at the company’s factory in Jamshedpur.
From there, he went to work at the Steel and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and National Radio and Electronics (Nelco).
In 1991, JRD Tata, who had led the group for more than half a century, appointed Ratan Tata to replace him. “He [JRD Tata] he was my biggest mentor… he was like a father and a brother to me – and not enough has been said about that,” Tata later told an interviewer.
In 2008, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second highest honour.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Tata as “a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and a wonderful person”.
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