Indian magnate Ratan Tata, architect of the Tata Group's expansion, has died
The businessman was responsible for growing his family's business beyond India to operate on five continents.
Ratan Tata, former chairman of the Tata Group.
Indian businessman Ratan Tata, who is credited with transforming the Tata Group into a worldwide industrial conglomerate, has died at the age of 86, the company said Wednesday.
"It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr. Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader," Tata Group said in a statement.
Under his leadership, the steel company grew into an international enterprise with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Tata a "a visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being." Modi also thanked Tata for bringing "stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses."
From India to the world
Born in 1937 in Bombay (now Mumbai) Tata planned to be an architect and was working in the United States when his grandmother, who raised him, asked him to return home and join the family business.
He started in 1962 at TISCO, now known as Tata, staying in apprentice quarters and working in a workshop near the blast furnaces.
He took over the reins of the family empire after his uncle resigned in 1991, just as India embarked on radical free-market reforms.
During Tata's 21 years at the helm of the steel conglomerate, the company expanded its global presence by acquiring companies in several countries.
Its portfolio includes British luxury brands such as Jaguar and Land Rover. Considered India's largest conglomerate, it operates in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas.
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