On Thursday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah paid his final respects to legendary industrialist Ratan Tata at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai. Representing the Indian government, Shah honored Tata on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had left for Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits.
Shah was joined by Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, and Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal. Together, the leaders paid tribute to the iconic business leader whose death marked a profound loss for the nation.
Maharashtra declared a one-day state mourning on October 10 to honor Ratan Tata. All state-sponsored entertainment events were canceled, and Chief Minister Shinde announced that the industrialist’s funeral would be conducted with full state honors later that evening at Worli.
In a significant move, the Maharashtra Cabinet passed a resolution urging the central government to confer the Bharat Ratna—the country’s highest civilian honor—posthumously on Ratan Tata. The cabinet also observed a moment of silence in his memory.
Leaders from across political parties gathered to pay their last respects. Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Chief Sharad Pawar were among those who offered tributes at the NCPA, alongside MPs Supriya Sule and Praful Patel. Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, along with his son, MLA Aaditya Thackeray, and party leaders Anil Desai and Arvind Sawant, also paid their final respects to the towering figure.
Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday night at the age of 86. His contributions to India’s industrial landscape and philanthropy earned him immense respect, and his passing has been mourned by millions across the nation.
