Ratan Tata's trusted advisor Shantanu Naidu bids farewell

Shantanu Naidu (right) with Ratan Tata.

Delhi:

Shantanu Naidu, the managing director of former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata's office, penned an emotional post to bid farewell to his “dear lighthouse”. His post came after the 86-year-old industrialist's death on Wednesday, leaving behind a legacy spanning over two decades as the head of a variety of industries within the Tata Group.

Mr. Naidu, an MBA from Cornell University and founder of the Goodfellows startup, wrote in a post on LinkedIn: “The void this friendship has left in me now is one I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price to pay for love.”

The 28-year-old is the fifth generation of his family to work in the Tata Group. Mr Naidu was seen this morning riding out of Tata's house on a Yezdi motorcycle, leading the truck carrying his boss's remains. It was their mutual love and concern for dogs that bonded the duo.

Meanwhile, Mr Tata's mortal remains were taken to the National Center of Performing Arts in Mumbai from where they will be taken to a crematorium in Worli where he will be accorded a state funeral.

Born in Bombay, now Mumbai, in 1937 and educated at Cornell University, Mr. Tata was known for his willingness to take risks.

He took over the family empire in 1991, riding the wave of radical market reforms introduced by the Indian government that year. During his years at the helm, the salt-to-steel group expanded its global footprint to include British luxury brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover.

The industrialist later devoted his time to running the group's charitable arm and funding some of India's hottest startups.