Business titan Ratan Tata, former leader of Indian conglomerate Tata Group, dies at age 86

NEW DELHI (AP) — 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.”

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

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

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“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.”

Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000.

Tata Group is a sprawling collection of nearly 100 companies, including the country’s largest automaker, the largest private steel company and a leading outsourcing firm. The companies employ more than 350,000 people worldwide. In June 2008, Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion.

Tata pioneered commercial aviation in India when it launched an airline in 1932 that later became Air India. The government later took it over.

Tata Group bought state-owned Air India in 2021. It also started a full-service carrier, Vistara, with Singapore Airlines, but recently merged it with Air India.

Tata companies include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and the information technology company Tata Consultancy Services.