Ratan Tata a champion for the underprivileged, say global health leaders
Global health leaders have hailed Ratan Tata as a champion for the underprivileged, honoring the extraordinary legacy he leaves behind in India and beyond. The Chairman Emeritus of the Tata Group passed away at Breach Candy Hospital due to age-related health issues late Wednesday. He was 86.
“Deeply saddened by the passing of Mr. Ratan Tata—a friend, guide, mentor to many, and a champion for the underprivileged,” said Soumya Swaminathan, former Chief Scientist at the WHO, in a post on X. She extended her “prayers and condolences to his family,” affirming that his “legacy will live on forever.”
Tata Memorial Hospital described him as “a visionary leader with the highest integrity and an incredibly compassionate person—truly a nation builder.”
The business magnate was also a former trustee at Cornell University, where he became the largest international donor, supporting scholarships and research aimed at reducing rural poverty and malnutrition in India. Interim President Michael I. Kotlikoff noted, “Ratan Tata has left an extraordinary legacy in India, globally, and at Cornell, which he deeply cared about.” He praised Tata’s “quiet demeanor and humility,” emphasizing that his “generosity and concern for others enabled research and scholarship that improved the education and health of millions.”
Tata served as Chairman of Tata Sons, the holding company of the Tata Group, from 1991 until his retirement on December 28, 2012. Dr. Ishwar Gilada, a Consultant in HIV/STDs at Unison Medicare and Research Centre in Mumbai, remarked that there can be “neither comparison nor replacement” for Ratan Tata.
Meanwhile, Tata’s family announced that his mortal remains will be taken to NCPA Lawns around 10:30 a.m. to allow the public to pay their last respects. At approximately 4 p.m., his body will proceed from Nariman Point to the Worli Crematorium for the last rites.
At the crematorium, his remains, draped in the national flag, will receive a police gun salute before being consigned to the flames, according to the family.
