This was a man who like Buddha transformed himself into achieving the impossible and being an inspiration for many generations to come, says business thinker Mudit Jain.
Like millions of Indians, I didn't know Shri Ratan Tata personally, but felt a personal loss at his demise.
I did meet him on a few occasions at functions, but the interaction was limited. But I still felt a closeness to him as he was very relatable and friendly.
Shri Tata's achievements are legendary catapulting the Tata group to becoming an Indian multinational but so also is his benevolence and humility.
After the terrorist attack on the iconic Taj Mahal hotel in Mumbai, he set up a trust to take care of not only Tata employees but also their families and all those affected in the terror attack by bearing the expenses for medical treatment and education for the children whose parents died in the tragedy.
So who is the real Ratan Tata shorn of titles and power? He himself says he was a shy boy at school who was bullied by his classmates at the divorce of his parents which was uncommon at that time.
He used to feel guilty coming in a big car to school when other boys took a school bus and were not as privileged as him.
Raised by his grandmother, Lady Navajbai, she shaped his character and his values and Mr. Tata acknowledges her for becoming what he is.
Mr. Tata also was very frugal in his habits as his parents were not ostentatious and this quality has remained with him ever since.
Mr. Tata left a happy life in the USA to come back to India to take care of his ailing grandmother and in the process his engagement to an American lady broke as she couldn't come to India.
Even though he had a few relationships thereafter, nothing materialised into a marriage and he remained a bachelor being happy in the company of his two dogs. All these incidents must have made Mr. Tata a humble, empathetic person that he was.
His journey into the top job as Chairman of the Tata group was not an easy ride despite being groomed and nominated by Shri J R D Tata.
He had to fight his way with the entrenched satraps running many Tata companies and in the process of trial by fire emerged tempered and finally victorious.
This developed his leadership skills and he took bold decisions of acquiring companies overseas and also expanding rapidly in India modernising Tata Steel and taking Tata Chemicals and Tata Tea global.
His visionary leadership led to the Tata group's turnover being 65% international and 35% local, making him a global industrialist dealing with many geographies across the globe.
The journey of a shy introverted boy to a global leader has been a journey of turmoil and struggle which is inevitable, but the exemplary phenomena is that Mr. Tata didn't forget his ethics and values which makes this truly remarkable.
The Tata brand is the biggest and most well known brand globally for its philanthropy and it is in no small measure due to the imprint of Shri Ratan Tata.
This apparent paradox is what makes Shri Ratan Tata truly stand out amongst his peers as despite not playing by the rules, he achieved tremendous success making his journey incomparable to his peers.
The nation has lost a great humanitarian, but Shri Tata's rich legacy lives on through his companies and the lives he touched both directly and indirectly.
This was a man who like Buddha transformed himself into achieving the impossible and being an inspiration for many generations to come.
Rest in peace Sir, you have truly deserved it, though like a Bodhisattva, may you come back again to help mankind lead the way with your honourable actions.
Like a true Parsi, you lived your life through good thoughts, good words and tremendous good deeds.
Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
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