India bids adieu to its national icon Ratan Tata with full state honours, thousands pay tribute

Home Minister Amit Shah was among the many high-profile dignitaries who were present to pay his last rites to Ratan Tata. He was accompanied by Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, and Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and his deputies, Devendra Fadnavis and Ajit Pawar.

Shah also paid tributed on behalf of Prime Minister Narendra Modi who is en route to Laos to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia summits.

The mortal remains of the industry legend arrived at the cremation ground wrapped in the national flag. It was also kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts in Nariman Point, before his body was transported to the crematorium in Worli, a distance of 12 km.

Thousands lined the streets to bid goodbye to one of their own, an unassuming Mumbai-bornwho was born in Mumbai and bred as 'chhotu' and then went on to transform the Tata brand into a global powerhouse.

Many stood in long queues to honor him, with students and young people particularly seeing him as more than just an industrialist—he was a role model admired for his philanthropy, compassion, and love for animals.

Politicians, celebrities, actors,  sportspersons, and his peers including the Ambanis and the Adanis, too paid their respects.

Mukesh Ambani arrived in the afternoon with his family—wife Nita, son Aakash, and daughter-in-law Shloka.

He was greeted by Noel Tata, Ratan Tata's half-brother, and also met Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran.

Maharashtra has announced a day of mourning as a mark of respect for a business leader and philanthropist admired in India and abroad for his simplicity, sincerity, and humanity.

Maharashtra Minister Deepak Kesarkar, after visiting Breach Candy Hospital, said, "All state government programmes in Mumbai have been canceled for tomorrow due to the death of industrialist Ratan Tata."

The Gujarat government also announced a one-day state mourning.

The national flag was flown at half-mast across government buildings, and no official events occurred. Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel expressed deep sorrow over Tata’s passing, calling his death an irreplaceable loss for the nation. He stated that India has lost its ‘Ratan’ (gem).

A stampede-like situation erupted outside the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai on Thursday, as the public gathered in large numbers to pay their final respects to Ratan Tata, who passed away at 86 late Wednesday at Breach Candy Hospital.

The overwhelming crowd forced Mumbai Police to conduct a lathi charge to manage the chaos.