Ratan Tata death: PM Narendra Modi speaks to Noel Tata; Amit Shah to attend funeral

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday morning spoke with Ratan Tata’s brother, Noel Tata, and expressed condolences for the death of the renowned businessman and philanthropist. Union home minister Amit Shah will attend Ratan Tata’s funeral on behalf of the Government of India.

Ratan Tata, who spearheaded the Tata Group for several decades, passed away at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital on Wednesday night. He was 86.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departed for a two-day visit to Laos to attend the 21st ASEAN-India Summit and the 19th East Asia Summit.

In a series of posts on X, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Ratan Tata a “visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.” He hailed Ratan Tata’s most unique aspect of “his passion towards dreaming big and giving back.”

“He was at the forefront of championing causes like education, healthcare, sanitation, animal welfare to name a few.”

Recalling his interactions with Tata, Modi said, “I would meet him frequently in Gujarat when I was the CM. We would exchange views on diverse issues. I found his perspectives very enriching. These interactions continued when I came to Delhi. Extremely pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family, friends, and admirers in this sad hour. Om Shanti.”

The Maharashtra government has declared a day of mourning in the state on Thursday to pay tributes to Ratan Tata, the Chief Minister’s Office said.

The national flag on the government offices in Maharashtra will be flown at half-mast on October 10. There will be no entertainment events on Thursday, the statement said.

Tata’s mortal remains will be kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai from 10 am to 4 pm on Thursday for people to pay their respects. His last rites will be performed in the Worli area of Mumbai later in the day.