Ratan Tata passes away: 'Had an interest in classical music and jazz', NCPA releases statement

Ratan Tata

Veteran industrialist Ratan Naval Tata passed away on Wednesday, October 9, in Mumbai. Known for his business acumen, love for aviation and canines, the legendary businessman was a connoisseur of music, said Khushroo N Suntook, the chairman of National Centre for Performing Ats (NCPA) at Nariman Point in South Mumbai.

Suntook, in the statement expressing grief at the passing of Tata, reminices, "The passing of Ratan Tata is a serious loss to the Tata Group which he guided to exceptional heights after he took over from JRD Tata. He achieved this while honouring the Tata values and was a unique ambassador of ethical growth. He was a fine human being with great compassion for the underprivileged for whom he created great institutions. He cared for animals with unparalleled devotion. He had a wide range of interests and tastes from aviation to modern management systems and from classical music to jazz."

Interestingly, NCPA shared an old picture of Ratan Tata's encounter with Margaret Thatcher, then Prime Minister of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at the venue, during her visit to India in 1981. On the important occasion, the Kerala Kalamandalam had presented an episode from the Mahabharata in the Kathakali style and Sonal Mansingh gave an Odissi dance recital.

The statement further said, "Tata had a longstanding association with the NCPA as its Council Member from 1973 to 1991. Unfortunately, his busy schedule kept him from indulging his love for music as much as he would have liked to. His great quality was his simplicity and lack of self-importance in spite of his position, a rare quality today. He will be greatly missed."