Ratan Tata death | Top business, political leaders pay homage

Thousands of people from different walks of life, including politicians and corporate leaders, gathered at the NCPA in Mumbai on Thursday (October 10) to pay homage to the legendary Ratan Tata, whose identity transcended beyond being the top industry icon.

The body of Ratan Tata, who died in a hospital in Mumbai on Wednesday night (October 9), was brought from his Colaba home in a hearse decked with white flowers to the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in south Mumbai.

The mortal remains were kept at the NCPA in a casket with a tricolour covering it.

Among the early ones who arrived to pay respect were Nationalist Congress Party (SP) president Sharad Pawar, his daughter MP Supriya Sule, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena chief Raj Thackeray, Aditya Birla Group Chairman Kumar Mangalam Birla, finance industry stalwart Deepak Parekh, and Reserve Bank of India Governor Shaktikanta Das.

Leader of opposition in the Maharashtra assembly Vijay Wadettiwar and assembly speaker and local MLA Rahul Narwekar were among those who reached the NCPA.

The employees and top executives of the Tata group were also present to pay respect.

CM Shinde, his deputy Devendra Fadnavis, Maharashtra's education minister Deepak Kesarkar and industrialist Mukesh Ambani were among those who rushed to the hospital after hearing about Tata's death.