Padma Vibhushan industrialist Ratan Tata dies at 86 | India News

NEW DELHI: Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of one of India's largest conglomerates Tata Group, has died at the age of 86 after a long illness. Due to his age and related health problems, he was hospitalized.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi mourned the death of Ratan Tata, calling him a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.
“Shri Ratan Tata Ji was a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being. He ensured stable leadership of one of the oldest and most renowned business houses in India. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardroom. He was popular.” “I have honored many people thanks to his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our society,” Prime Minister Modi said in a post on X.
“One of the most unique aspects of Shri Ratan Tata Ji was his passion for dreaming big and giving back. “He has been at the forefront of championing causes such as education, healthcare, sanitation and animal welfare, to name a few,” he added.

Ratan Tata, who is also known for his charitable work, was chairman of the Tata Group from 1991 to 2012. During his tenure, he made significant contributions to the conglomerate founded by his great-grandfather over a century ago.
In 1996, Tata founded Tata Teleservices, the group's telecommunications arm, and in 2004 he led the IPO of Tata Consultancy Services, the group's IT business.
After stepping down as chairman in 2012, Tata retained the honorary title of chairman emeritus of several Tata companies, including Tata Sons, Tata Industries, Tata Motors, Tata Steel and Tata Chemicals.
Tata has been awarded two of India's highest civilian awards: the Padma Bhushan in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan in 2008.

He is one of India's most successful business tycoons and is also known for his philanthropic efforts. His personal involvement in philanthropy began in the 1970s with the initiation of “The Aga Khan Hospital and Medical College” project, which laid the foundation for one of India's leading healthcare institutions.
After Tata became chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, his philanthropic efforts gained new momentum. He actively led the Tata Trusts founded by his great-grandfather Jamsetji to address important social needs and establish institutes of excellence such as the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, while also funding educational initiatives across India.
Despite its reputation for class and elegance, Tata was not immune to controversy. Although the Tata Group was not directly implicated in the 2008 scam involving the awarding of second-generation telecommunications licenses, Tata became embroiled in the controversy through leaked recordings of alleged phone calls he made to lobbyist Nira Radia. However, he was not involved in any wrongdoing.
In December 2012, Tata handed over control of Tata Sons to Cyrus Mistry, its then deputy. However, the owners faced problems with the functionality of the first non-Tata family member, which led to Mistry's downfall in October 2016. Ratan Tata was said to be one of the shareholders who disagreed with Mistry on several projects, including Mistry's decision to discontinue the company's loss-making Nano subcompact car, a pet project of Ratan Tata.
Since 2017, Tata has been Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons. During this time, he has taken on a new role supporting young 21st century entrepreneurs by investing in new-age technology-driven start-ups that will play an important role in shaping the country's future. In his personal capacity and through his investment company RNT Capital Advisors, Tata has invested in over 30 startups including Ola Electric, Paytm, Snapdeal, Lenskart and Zivame.
On a wet monsoon evening not many moons ago, dog lover Tata had decreed that all strays outside the conglomerate's headquarters in downtown Mumbai should be given shelter. Some never left, but their benefactor is no more.