Mumbai bids farewell to India Inc. titan Ratan Tata

Baby, a 28-year-old software developer, packed her bags, grabbed her 10-month-old daughter and took the first flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai with her husband on Thursday afternoon. Her aim was to give her daughter a “darshan of Ratan Tata Sir”, the man she saw as a reflection of her own father, whom she lost a year ago. “We had planned to come to Mumbai in December for my daughter’s first birthday to meet him. I always looked up to him… I couldn't believe it when I heard the news,” she sobbed as her husband stood up by her side after arriving at Worli crematorium shortly after Tata was taken to the inner chamber for cremation . As they stood there pleading to be let in, a police officer comforted them and said, “I understand your feelings. I joined duty today primarily because it was him – Garibo ka daata, hamare Ratan Tata.”
This exchange reflected the mood of the day – a shared sense of awe and loss as thousands – dignitaries, business leaders and citizens – gathered to bid farewell to Ratan Tata, chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, who passed away on Wednesday evening.
The measured steps of a military brass band set the tone for the day as their steady march led the flower-laden hearse from Tata's Colaba residence to the NCPA at Nariman Point. At Tata's final farewell, his family was by his side, including stepmother Simone Tata, half-brother Noel and brother Jimmy Tata, and half-sisters Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy. They were joined by industrialists like Reliance Group Chairman Mukesh Ambani and his family, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla and his daughter Ananya Birla, TVS Chairman Emeritus Venu Srinivasan, the Chairman, among others of JM Financial, Nimesh Kampani, and his son.
“Ratan Tata embodied the best ideals of the storied Tata Group. He has shown that, at its best, business is both a vehicle for economic strength and a catalyst for social progress,” said Birla, whose family once held a larger stake in Tata Steel than the Tata family. Shapoorji Pallonji Group Chairman Shapoor Mistry, whose family has a long association with the Tata Group and Tata, said Tata's death marks the end of an era. “Tata will always be remembered as a leader who left an indelible mark on the development of the Tata Group,” said Mistry, whose family owns 18% in Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group.
Employees from Tata Group offices in various cities along with others stood in a queue for hours under the October sun for an “antim darshan” of Tata's body draped in the tiranga. Like Baby and her family, they came from all walks of life and different faiths, and each of them had a story about how Tata had a place in their hearts for reasons beyond business. For example, Akash K recalled how his parents received free cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital. “Can you imagine what it means to a family with limited resources to receive free cancer treatment? Both of my parents have since passed away, but I came here to show gratitude to the man whose kindness allowed us more time together.”
Many felt they had lost a family elder, others admired Tata's humility. “He was a true industrialist. The rest are business people. Mr. Tata’s quiet dignity, quiet charity and lack of ostentation were refreshing,” said an office visitor. A senior YouTuber, Amol Shivade, was upset that Tata had not received the Bharat Ratna. “So I made a video titled 'Vishwa Ratna',” he said. Freny Kolah, a resident of Nepean Sea Road, stood next to Tata's coffin and recited Zoroastrian prayers.
Although the Tata Group did not declare a formal holiday, hundreds of employees came to pay their respects. “Mr Tata believed that the task of nation-building must never stop,” said an aide. Flight attendant Nikhil Rao, who had returned from a trip to London the previous evening, stood in his spare uniform. “My parents worked for Air India. We were thrilled when AI came back to the Tata space. Growing up, I always heard stories about Mr. Tata’s generosity and work ethic,” he said. A group of employees set off from Pune.
After nearly six hours, the hearse rolled out of the gates of NCPA and headed to Worli crematorium led by Amit Shah and Piyush Goyal and accompanied by CM Eknath Shinde and Dy CM Devendra Fadnavis. Inside, political heavyweights and business giants continued to stream in. Walkie-talkies crackled at the gate as bandobas kept the crowd at a distance, but as the ministers left a wave of people streamed in, many holding posters and photos of Tata as they chanted “Ratan Tata amar rahe” rent the air.
His last rites were performed as per the Parsi tradition with three more days of rituals planned at his home in Colaba. The police saluted with a 24-gun salute. And yet the state funeral felt less like a ceremonial duty than a final salute to the shared history between Tata and the people.