Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, dies in a Mumbai hospital at the age of 86

NEW DELHI – Ratan Tata, a former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, died in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday evening. He was 86.

Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran confirmed Tata's death, describing him as his “friend, mentor and guide” in a statement.

Tata was admitted to Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai this week.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tata as a visionary leader and a compassionate and exceptional human being.

“He ensured stable leadership of one of the oldest and most reputed business houses in India. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond the boardrooms,” Modi said on X.

“Tata has endeared himself to several people thanks to his humility, kindness and unwavering commitment to the betterment of our society,” Modi said in his tributes, referring to his philanthropic work.

Industrialist Harsh Goenka called him a “titan”.

Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India's most prestigious civilian awards, in 2000.

The Tata Group is a sprawling collection of nearly 100 companies, including the country's largest automaker, the largest private steel company and a leading outsourcing company. The companies employ more than 350,000 people worldwide. In June 2008, Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford for $2.3 billion.

Tata pioneered commercial aviation in India when it founded an airline in 1932 that later became Air India. The government later took it over.

The Tata Group bought state-owned Air India in 2021. It also founded a full-service airline, Vistara, with Singapore Airlines, but recently merged it with Air India.

Tata companies include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and information technology company Tata Consultancy Services.