News Flash
11 October
Source: PTI
State Honors and Public Tributes Mark the Last Journey of the Tata Group Visionary
Mumbai: On Thursday, Mumbai bid farewell to Ratan Tata, the former chairman of the Tata Group, as his final rites were performed with full state honors at a crematorium in Worli. Thousands, including industry leaders, politicians, and ordinary citizens, gathered to pay their respects.
Tata, aged 86, passed away on Wednesday night after a brief illness at Breach Candy Hospital. His body was taken to his Colaba residence and later to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) for public tributes.
The funeral was conducted as per Parsi traditions, and the Maharashtra government ensured full state honors, including a gun salute from Mumbai Police. The state cabinet also passed a resolution requesting the central government to posthumously award Tata the Bharat Ratna.
Among those paying homage were Union Home Minister Amit Shah, industrialist Mukesh Ambani, and cricket icon Sachin Tendulkar. Leading figures from the corporate world, including Tata Group chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran and RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das, joined the tribute. Notable political figures such as Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and NCP president Sharad Pawar were also present.
Crowds gathered outside the NCPA, with many expressing a personal connection to the industrialist's legacy. "I felt like I lost a family member," said Abhishek Gabhne, a student.
The procession to the crematorium was marked by chants of 'Amar Rahe' and 'Vande Mataram' as Tata's casket, draped in the tricolour, made its way through the streets of Mumbai.
The cremation, performed in an electric furnace, saw close family and members of the Parsi community in attendance.