A 28-year-old software engineer, Baby, packed her bags, grabbed her 10-month-old daughter, and along with her husband, caught the first flight from Hyderabad to Mumbai on Thursday afternoon. Her purpose 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 were planning to come to Mumbai in Dec for my daughter’s first birthday to meet him.I’ve always looked up to him… I couldn’t believe it when I heard the news,” she sobbed, as her husband stood by her side, after arriving at Worli crematorium moments after Tata had been taken into the inner chamber for cremation. As they stood there pleading to be let in, a police officer comforted them, saying, “I understand your feelings. I took up duty today especially because it was him- Garibo ka daata, hamare Ratan Tata.”
This exchange reflected the day’s mood – a shared sense of reverence 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 night.
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 NCPA at Nariman Point. Tata’s final farewell saw his family by his side, including stepmother Simone Tata, half-brother Noel and brother Jimmy Tata, and half-sisters Shireen and Deanna Jejeebhoy. Joining them were 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, JM Financial chairman Nimesh Kampani and his son, among others.
“Ratan Tata epitomised the finest ideals of the storied Tata Group. He demonstrated that business, at its best, is both a vehicle for economic strength and a catalyst for societal progress,” said Birla, whose family once held a stake in Tata Steel higher than the Tata family. Shapoorji Pallonji Group chairman Shapoor Mistry, whose family has had a long relationship with the Tata Group and with Tata, said Tata’s passing marks the end of an era. “Tata will always be remembered as a leader who left a lasting mark on evolution 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 across cities, along with others, stood waiting in a line for hours under the Oct 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, each with a story of how Tata held a place in their hearts for reasons that went beyond business. Akash K, for example, recalled how his parents had received free cancer treatment at Tata Memorial Hospital. “Can you imagine what it means for a family with limited means to get free cancer treatment? My parents have both passed away now, but I came here to show gratitude to the man whose kindness gave us more time together.”
Many felt like they had lost a family elder, others admired Tata’s humility. “He was a true industrialist. The rest are businessmen. Mr Tata’s quiet dignity, silent charity and lack of ostentation were refreshing,” said an office-goer. An elderly YouTuber Amol Shivade was upset Tata had not been given the Bharat Ratna. “So I made a video called ‘Vishwa Ratna,'” he said. Freny Kolah, a Nepean Sea Road resident, stood beside Tata’s coffin, reciting Zoroastrian prayers.
Despite no formal holiday declared by the Tata Group, hundreds of staffers came to pay homage. “It was Mr Tata’s belief that the task of nation-building must never stop,” said one employee. Flight purser Nikhil Rao, back from a London trip the night before, stood wearing his spare uniform. “My parents worked at Air India. We were thrilled when AI came back into the Tata fold. Growing up, I always heard stories about Mr Tata’s generosity and work ethic,” he said. From Pune, a group of staffers made the trip.
After nearly six hours, the hearse rolled out of NCPA’s gates and made its way 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 bigwigs continued to trickle in. Walkie-talkies crackled at the gate as bandobast kept the crowd at bay but the moment the ministers left, a wave of people surged in, many clutching placards and photos of Tata while chants of “Ratan Tata amar rahe” rent the air.
His last rites were performed according to Parsi tradition, with 3 more days of rituals planned at his Colaba home. The police gave him a 24-gun salute. And yet, the state funeral felt less a ceremonial duty and more a final salute to the shared history between Tata and the people.