'Forever be indebted': Tributes to Ratan Tata, who turned around the fortunes of Jaguar Land Rover
ITV Central reporter Mark Gough reports on the tributes paid to Jaguar Land Rover owner, Ratan Tata, who had died aged 89.
Ratan Tata had been credited as the man who saved the car manufacturer Jaguar Land Rover from going out of business, when he took over in 2015.
Today, a state funeral was held in Mumbai where he died.
He led the Tata Group of Companies which bought Jaguar Land Rover in 2008 from Ford.
At that time, it was a failing company in serious difficulty, and weeks from closing a factory in the Midlands, he bought the company for $2.3 billion in cash, and under his leadership, JLR fortunes have turned around.
It now employs 42,000 people around the world, more than 30,000 of them in the Midlands, with revenues of 29 billion pounds.
Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran confirmed Mr Tata's death and described him as his "friend, mentor, and guide" in a statement.
Mr Tata was admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai this week.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi described Mr Tata as a visionary leader, a compassionate and an extraordinary human being.
"He provided stable leadership to one of India's oldest and most prestigious business houses. At the same time, his contribution went far beyond boardrooms," Mr Modi said on X.
Mr Tata endeared himself to several people, thanks to his humility, kindness and an unwavering commitment to making our society better," Mr Modi said in his tributes, referring to his philanthropy work.
Industrialist Harsh Goenka called him a "titan".
Mr Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India's most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000.
Writing on X, Andy Street , the former Mayor of the West Midlands paid tribute to Mr Tata. He wrote:
"Rarely does a businessman change the world like Ratan Tata did."His vision led Tata to acquire JLR in 2008, a decision that was - and still is - crucial to our region’s economic success."JLR - & the WM - would not be what it is today without Ratan. We will forever be indebted".
The Tata legacy
Tata Group is a sprawling collection of nearly 100 companies, including the country's largest carmaker, the largest private steel company and a leading outsourcing firm.
The companies employ more than 350,000 people worldwide.
Tata pioneered commercial aviation in India when it launched an airline in 1932 that later became Air India. The government later took it over.
Tata Group bought state-owned Air India in 2021. It also started a full-service carrier, Vistara, with Singapore Airlines, but recently merged it with Air India.
Tata companies include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and the information technology company Tata Consultancy Services.
Adrian Mardell, the CEO of JLR, said "The entire JLR family is profoundly saddened by the death of Mr. Ratan Tata, and we owe everything we've become since then to his unwavering support and dedication."