Prominent Figures Line Up to Pay Last Respects to Ratan Tata

Mumbai: Thousands from various walks of life, including politicians and corporate leaders, gathered at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai on Thursday to pay tribute to Ratan Tata, the legendary industrialist who passed away on Wednesday night.

Tata’s body, transported from his Colaba residence in a hearse adorned with white flowers, was brought to the NCPA, where it was placed in a casket draped with the Tricolour.

Prominent figures like Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar, his daughter MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, finance veteran Deepak Parekh, and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das were among the first to pay their respects.

Even before the arrival of Tata’s remains, many admirers had queued up at the NCPA to catch a final glimpse of the visionary leader. His body will later be taken to the Prayer Hall at the Worli crematorium.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has confirmed that Tata will be honoured with a state funeral. Opposition leader Vijay Wadettiwar and assembly speaker Rahul Narwekar were also present at the NCPA, along with top executives and employees of the Tata Group.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Vivek Phansalkar, Special Commissioner Deven Bharti, and Joint Commissioner Satya Narayan Chowdhary were among the senior police officials who paid homage to Tata.

In anticipation of the large gathering, Mumbai police tightened security and implemented traffic restrictions in parts of Nariman Point.

Ratan Tata, known for transforming the Tata Group into a global business giant, passed away at the age of 86 at Breach Candy Hospital. After news of his passing, CM Shinde, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis, Education Minister Deepak Kesarkar, and industrialist Mukesh Ambani rushed to the hospital.

Before Tata’s mortal remains were taken from his home to the NCPA, a Mumbai Police band performed in his honour. A crowd had also gathered outside his residence early in the morning to pay their tributes, with cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar among the early visitors.

The Maharashtra government declared a day of mourning on Thursday, with the national flag at government offices being flown at half-mast as a mark of respect.