National: Ratan Tata, an Indian industrialist and a former chairman of Tata Sons, passed away on Wednesday (October 8) in a Mumbai hospital. He was Chairman of the Tata Group between 1990-2012 and interim chairman from October 2016 to February 2017.

He resigned as chairman of Tata Sons in 2012, passing the baton to Cyrus Mistry. He however made a brief return for a while in 2016, in order to stabilise the company after Mistry’s removal as chairman, before the appointment of N Chandrasekaran.

He was a dedicated philanthropist and headed the company’s charitable trust, and more than half of the profits are channelled towards various charitable initiatives. He was awarded the second and the third highest civilian award in India – the Padma Bhushan – in 2000 and the Padma Vibhushan – in 2008.

 A well-known Indian industrialist and philanthropist, Ratan Tata gave vital leadership to India's largest conglomerate, the Tata Group. Born on December 28, 1937, in Bombay-now Mumbai-he belonged to a distinguished Parsi family as a child. He is the great-grandson of founder Jamsetji Tata of the Tata Group.

Though he never married, Ratan Tata is taken well by all in his humility, integrity, and vision. He remained active in public life, offering guidance and advice on various national and global platforms. His leadership has had a profound impact on Indian industry, and he continues to be an advocate for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Ratan Tata's legacy is a mix of ethical leadership, philanthropy, and commitment to India's social development-a lineage not unlike some of the most iconoclastic business leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra government declared day of mourning in state on Thursday to pay tributes to industrialist Ratan Tata.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde paid tributes to iconic industrialist Ratan Tata who died at Mumbai hospital on Wednesday night.

"A rare gem is lost Ratanji | Tata had a unique and ideal combination of ethics and entrepreneurship. Ratanji Tata was a living legend who successfully led the Tata Group with a tradition of excellence and integrity spanning nearly 150 years. The decisiveness and mental toughness he displayed time after time took the Tata Group to different industrial heights. I pay my respects to them. Ratanji Tata's body will be cremated with state honors," the CM's post read.