Getty ImagesIndian tycoon Ratan Tata has died aged 86, says the Tata Group, the conglomerate he led for more than two decades.
Tata was one of India’s most internationally recognised business leaders.
The Tata Group is one of India’s largest companies, with annual revenues in excess of $100bn.
In a statement announcing Tata’s death, the current chairman of Tata Sons described him as a “truly uncommon leader”.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran added: “On behalf of the entire Tata family, I extend our deepest condolences to his loved ones.
“His legacy will continue to inspire us as we strive to uphold the principles he so passionately championed.”
During his tenure as chairman of the Tata Group, the conglomerate made several high-profile acquisitions, including the takeover of Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, UK-based car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley, the world’s second-largest tea company.
A profile published in the Economist magazine in 2011 called Tata a “titan”, crediting him with transforming the family group into “a global powerhouse”.
“He owns less than 1% of the group that bears his family name. But he is a titan nonetheless: the most powerful businessman in India and one of the most influential in the world,” the magazine said.
In 2012, he retired as chairman of the group and was appointed chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, the group’s holding company.
Tata was born in a traditional Parsi family in 1937. He studied architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University in the US.
In 1962, he joined Tata Industries – the promoter company of the group – as an assistant and spent six months training at a company plant in Jamshedpur.
From here, he went on to work at the Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and National Radio and Electronics (Nelco).
In 1991, JRD Tata, who had led the group for over half a century, appointed Ratan Tata as his successor. “He [JRD Tata] was my greatest mentor… he was like a father and a brother to me – and not enough has been said about that,” Tata later told an interviewer.
In 2008, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the country’s second-highest civilian honour.