The nation mourns the loss of Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, who passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday night. The industrialist, known for his transformative leadership of the Tata Group and his visionary contributions to various sectors, has left an indelible mark on India and the world.
Among those paying tribute was Rahul Bhatia, Group Managing Director of InterGlobe Enterprises. Reflecting on a personal encounter with Mr. Tata, Bhatia shared, “I had the occasion to engage with Mr. Ratan Tata when I returned from college in 1985 and discussed the opportunity of a three-way collaboration on manufacturing digital telephone switches between the TATA Group, Nortel, and the earlier avatar of InterGlobe.” While the initiative did not come to fruition, Bhatia noted, “Mr. Tata’s refreshing openness and disarming humility left an indelible impression on me.”
Bhatia, whose company operates IndiGo, also spoke of Tata’s love for aviation, stating, “As we all know, Mr. Tata had a deep passion for flying machines, and I was pleased to see Air India return to where it truly belonged.” He added that in tribute to Tata’s vision for Indian aviation, “IndiGo will, ever so modestly, walk alongside Air India to secure India’s rightful seat at the center-stage of Global Aviation.”
Radha Bhatia, Chairperson of Bird Group, expressed her sorrow, remembering Tata as a visionary whose impact transcended industries. “It is with deep sorrow that we mourn the passing of Ratan Tata, a visionary who not only redefined the Tata Group but left an indelible mark on India’s travel and hospitality sector,” she said. Radha Bhatia highlighted Tata’s role in expanding the Taj Hotel properties globally and his pioneering influence in aviation through Vistara and the recent takeover of Air India.
She added, “As an entrepreneur in the travel and hospitality industry for the last five decades, I have always looked up to Mr. Tata as a guiding light. His ability to blend tradition with modernization helped shape the future of Indian hospitality and aviation.”
His passing marks the end of an era, but his contributions to Indian industry, aviation, and hospitality will resonate for years to come.
