Ratan Tata, India's humble business magnate

Ratan Naval Tata, one of India's most beloved industrialists and philanthropists, who transformed and turned his family's business and iconic conglomerate, the Tata Group, into a multinational corporation died on Wednesday in Mumbai. He was 86.

He passed away at Mumbai's Breach Candy Hospital where he was kept under intensive care. The cause of death was not given. 

Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Tata as "a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being," in a statement posted on X.

In a statement announcing Ratan Tata's death, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, the current chairman of Tata Sons and Tata Group, said: "To me, he was a mentor, guide, and friend. He inspired by example. His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles, he so passionately championed."

Two days earlier in an Instagram post, the affable industrialist said he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age and related medical conditions and announced that he remained in good spirits and there was no cause of concern.

Polite, elegant, and modest, Ratan Tata was a household name in India and was the king of the country's corporate landscape for the past two decades. He served as the chairman of Tata Group for more than two decades when he retired at the age of 75 in 2012.

Even after retirement, Tata remained active and was an instrumental force for the company by guiding a new crop of leaders and continuing to play a weighty role in the country's economic progress.

Commitment to global expansion

The 155-year-old Tata Group, often referred to as a "salt-to-software" conglomerate, runs over 30 companies, spread across six continents. It is recognizable for Tata products ranging from as diverse as teas, automobiles, steel, and software services.

After earning degrees in Cornell University, he joined the Tata Group in 1961 and steadily rose through the ranks. He began from scratch, working on the shop floor and managing the blast furnace in Tata Steel to eventually becoming the chairman of Tata Sons in 1991, which defined his leadership in the years to come.

His uncle, J. R. D. Tata, who had run Tata for more than 50 years, started Tata Airlines, which later became Air India.

Many of his associates remember Tata for his sharp business acumen, vision, a near-Puritanical work ethic and more importantly, an inherent sense of social responsibility.

Driven by these principles, the group has grown into a global enterprise that has been ranked the Most Valuable Indian Brand in Brand Finance's India 100 report for six consecutive years, according to the company website.

"He was unaffected by who he was and never sought a larger-than-life role. He wanted his achievements to speak out and that was a standout for a global industrialist," Jehangir H C Jehangir, a member of the board of trustees for the JN Tata Endowment and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, told DW.

"He led a simple life and worked for the larger good of society. His legacy of leadership and philanthropy will be cherished," added Jehangir.

Compassion and visionary leadership

His commitment to social responsibility and compassion was evident when the Taj Hotel, facing the Gateway of India, Mumbai's legendary landmark, was attacked in one of the country's worst terror attacks in November 2008. 

Tata showed immense resolve during the 60-hour siege and stood tall in the face of such adversity 

Apart from visiting the homes of every victim, he founded the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust to guarantee the rehabilitation of the victims and ensured the children of his late employees got a good education.

"He always responded personally to any letter sent and was touched when I wrote after the terror attack on the Taj Hotel. He wrote back with deep gratitude and compassion for those who had suffered and lost loved ones," Shernaz Cama, director of the Parzor Foundation, told DW.

The non-profit foundation works for the preservation and promotion of Parsi Zoroastrian culture and heritage.

Among Tata's most notable accomplishments were his bold acquisitions of international brands, which were testament to his vision and firm belief in globalization. The company also acquired hotels, communications grids, and energy providers around the world.

"When the group acquired Corus, Jaguar and Land Rover around 2007-08 to emerge as the largest industrial employer in UK, I remember my British clients jokingly say that it is East India Company happening in the reverse direction," Jayant Krishna, a former regional director of Tata consultancy services, told DW.

Krishna recounts how the group revenue which was around $5 billion (€4.57 billion) when Tata took over its leadership soared 20 times to over $100 billion by the time he left.

"When I was deputed by the Tata Group in 2015 to join the government as the CEO of the National Skill Development Corporation which plays a pivotal role in the Skill India Mission, Tata was quite happy and said that the nation must come first in whatever we do in life," said Krishna, adding that his legacy of generosity, purpose, humility, and righteousness will remain alive for a long time.

Few industrialists enjoyed the public esteem that Tata did, who was renowned for disbursing wealth to philanthropic causes and to live a life beyond profit. To boot, he wore his achievements lightly.

Tata's remains will be kept at the National Center for Performing Arts in south Mumbai for admirers and well-wishers to pay their last respects. 

Edited by: Rob Mudge