Ratan Tata to be cremated with full state honours. Maharashtra in mourning with national flag at half mast in all the goverment buildings in the state says CM Shinde

The doyen of industrialisation, beacon of integrity n transparency, a great luminary, an institution in himself, a philanthropic of repute , an outstanding human being known for extraordinary industrial feats, tallest stalwart respected all over the country across spectrum Ratan Naval Tata will be cremated in Mumbai with full state honours with the national flag flown at half mast in all the government offices as a mark of respect including stoppage of all the entertainment events in entire Maharashtra for today.

The state government has, as a mark of reverence to this great soul, declared a day of mourning with his body draped in national flag kept at National Centre of Performing arts till 4 in the evening for people’s darshan enabling them paying their respectful homage. The cremation thus taking place at Worli announced Maharashtra chief minister Eknath Shinde. There will be mourning in all the Tata group companies to pay respects for their emeritus chairman. It may be recalled that the former chairman of Tata Group, now Chairman Emeritus had breathed his last in a private hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday after suffering from age related ailments having been admitted in ICU at the age of 86. The shocking news about his sudden demise was revealed by the chairman of Tata group Mr. Chandrashekhar. The President, Prime minister and Leader of the opposition and several dignitaries across spectrum send enormous condolence messages expressing their heartfelt tributes after learning about the sad demise of the stalwart of Indian Industry.

According to a senior journalist and renowned columnist Vivek Shukla Ratan Tata was arguably the most recognizable face of the Indian corporate world outside India. He would always be remembered for making a non TATA to head the massive salt to aviation group. This is something even an illustrious JRD Tata couldn’t do. Meanwhile, it is also a fact that except for cash rich TCS and Tata Motors, most of the TATA group are not doing well. TATA Steel, once a jewel of the Tata group, is relegated to second position by JSW in terms of production and revenue. Finally, this is not the time to discuss the Neera Radia case here.

Writes Ex CEO Rajya Sabha Television and Ex OSD to Vice President India Gurdeep Singh Sappal about Ratan Tata who never met any important personality in power and the meeting of the then secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi Ahmed Patel with Ratan Tata. Sappal while remembering those invaluable moments wrote on X : Sometimes there are some meetings that are etched in the mind forever. One such meeting with Ratan Tata is etched in the mind. It was the year 2015. Ahmed Patel ji asked me to fix a meeting with him. It was decided that we would meet Ratan Tata ji at his Colaba house in Mumbai. Ahmed Patel ji and I reached his house on time. It was a typical middle class furnished house! As soon as Ratan Tata came to meet me in the drawing room, I greeted him. I felt a little confused in the greetings of him and Ahmed Patel ji, as if there were questions floating in their eyes. It felt as if they did not know each other. That is why, with some hesitation, I pointed towards Ahmed Patel ji and told his name to Ratan Tata. As soon as I told him, both of them extended their hands warmly. I gathered courage and asked, have you both never met? And indeed, this was the first meeting between the two. It was impossible for me to imagine that in all these decades, and especially despite the ten years of UPA government, the two had never met. How strange this was and this told the story of the personalities of both Ratan Tata and Ahmed Patel. Ratan Tata was one of the biggest industrialists of the country, but never came to attend a political court. And Ahmed Patel was one of the most powerful men during the UPA government, but never forced the country’s top industrialist to meet him! This relationship of kindness and self-respect said so much about those two personalities and about the political decency of that era. Today, heartfelt tribute is paid to both of them.