Mumbai was mourning on Thursday as a crowd gathered to pay their last respects to veteran industrialist and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde were among those who joined the procession, taking the national icon’s hearse to the Parsi crematorium in Worli.
Tata’s coffin, draped with an Indian flag, was flanked by a guard of honor, and a marching band of trumpets and drums accompanied the procession.
Among the hundreds lining up to pay their respects were humble mourners, high-profile business leaders and politicians, Tata workers, and film stars.
His younger brother, Jimmy Naval Tata, paid his final respects at the funeral, where Simone Tata, his stepmother, was present during the final rites. Among other attendees at the funeral service was Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani, as well as Founder-Chairperson of Reliance Foundation Nita Ambani.
As a nod to his trademark modesty and lasting love for dogs, his pets and office dog companion accompanied the mourners.
The crowds gathered at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) lawns hailed him as a “titan” who led one of the country’s most giant conglomerates.
