Tata’s last rites with state honors

Mumbai: India’s Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said on Thursday night that the last rites of industrialist Ratan Tata will be performed with full state honors.

CM Shinde said that Tata’s mortal remains will be kept at NCPA from 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday for the public to pay respect.

Ratan Tata, Chairperson Emeritus, Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday evening at Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai.

In a post on X, CM Shinde stated everyone will always remember the determination shown by him after the 2008 Mumbai attack. 

“His firm decisions, courageous attitude and social commitment will always be remembered. The last rites of late Ratanji Tata will be performed with full state honors,” the Chief Minister said.

Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis said the demise of Ratan Tata is “great loss for the country.”

“Ratan Tata was not only a very successful industrialist, but also a bigger personality because of the way he worked for the country and society. He has not only set up successful industries but has set up a trust, a brand that has given our country a global image. A person with a very big heart has left us today, this is a great loss for the country,” Fadnavis told reporters.

The mortal remains of Industrialist Ratan Tata, were brought to his residence in Colaba in the early hours of Thursday.

The Maharashtra government canceled all programs scheduled for Thursday in Mumbai following Tata’s demise.

“All the programs of the state government in Mumbai have been canceled for tomorrow, due to the death of industrialist Ratan Tata,” Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar said while speaking to reporters in Mumbai.

Earlier, President Droupadi Murmu, Vice-president Jagdeep Dhankhar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah, JP Nadda, Nitin Gadkari and Piyush Goyal also offered condolences on the demise of Ratan Tata.

In a series of posts on X, PM Modi said he was ‘extremely pained’ by Tata’s passing away and highlighted Tata’s leadership and contributions to society.

Businessperson-philanthropist  Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday evening aged 86.

“Ratan Tata Ji was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being. He provided stable leadership to one of India's oldest and most prestigious business houses. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom. He endeared himself to several people thanks to his humility, kindness and an unwavering commitment to making our society better,” he said.

“Extremely pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti,” PM Modi said in the post.

Also, Reliance Industries Chairperson Mukesh Ambani, Adani Group Founder and Chairperson Gautam Adani and Google CEO Sundar Pichai among others offered their condolences.

Tata, born on 28 Dec 1937, in Mumbai, is the Chairman of Ratan Tata Trust and Dorabji Tata Trust, two of the largest private-sector-promoted philanthropic trusts in India. He was the Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, from 1991 until his retirement in 2012. He was later appointed Chairperson Emeritus of Tata Sons.

He was honored with the country’s second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, in 2008.

ANI