The funeral took place in Mumbai of Ratan Tata, chairman of one of India's largest conglomerates, Tata Group, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86.
Business leaders, politicians and celebrities were among thousands of people who paid their last respects at the center where his body lay in state before being cremated.
The state of Maharashtra declared a day of mourning and his coffin received a military salute as it was carried away for funeral rites.
Ratan Tata took over as chairman of the group in 1991 and is credited with transforming it into a global powerhouse.
During his 20-year tenure, the conglomerate made several high-profile acquisitions, including the purchase of Anglo-Dutch steelmaker Corus, British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tetley, the second largest tea company in the world. world.
Tata was born into a traditional Parsi family in 1937. He studied architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University in the United States.
In 1962, he joined Tata Industries – the group's promoter company – as an assistant and underwent six months' training at a company factory in Jamshedpur.
From there, he worked at Tata Iron and Steel Company (now Tata Steel), Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and National Radio and Electronics (Nelco).
In 1991, JRD Tata, who had led the group for more than half a century, appointed Ratan Tata to succeed him. “He (JRD Tata) was my biggest mentor… he was like a father and a brother to me – and it hasn't been talked about enough,” Tata later told an interviewer.
In 2008, the Indian government awarded him the Padma Vibhushan, the country's second highest civilian honor.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi praised Tata as a “visionary business leader, a compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.”
