Ratan Tata, ‘titan’ of Indian business, dies at 86

Tata was admitted to a hospital in south Mumbai this week.

Ratan Tata, a former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night. He was 86.

Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran confirmed Tata’s death and described him in a statement as his “friend, mentor, and guide”. He did not provide a cause of death.

Tata was admitted this week to the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai, the city where he lived. Soon after he was hospitalised, Tata issued a statement on Monday saying there was no cause for concern regarding his health and that he was undergoing checkups for age-related medical conditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tata as a visionary leader and a compassionate and 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 boardrooms,” Modi said on X.

“Tata endeared himself to several people, thanks to his humility, kindness and an unwavering commitment to making our society better,” Modi said in his tributes, referring to his philanthropy work.

Industrialist Harsh Goenka called him a “titan”.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Tata left behind an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy, and he was instrumental in mentoring and developing modern business leadership in India.

“My last meeting with Ratan Tata at Google, we talked about the progress of Waymo and his vision was inspiring to hear,” Pichai said on X.

“He deeply cared about making India better,” he added.

Mukesh Ambani, chairman and managing director of Reliance Industries, said, “It is a very sad day for India and India Inc. Ratan Tata’s passing away is a big loss, not just to the Tata