Ratan Tata death: How US media covered passing of ‘powerful and admired’ Indian business leader

Ratan Tata, the Chairman Emeritus of Tata Sons, died aged 86 on Wednesday, October 9, at Mumbai’s Breach Candy Hospital.

Tata was in critical condition and in the ICU at the hospital, shortly after announcing that he was undergoing routine medical investigations due to his age, and medical conditions related to age.

Known as someone who drove India to greater development and prosperity, and hailed for his humanity and compassion, Tata is being mourned not just in India, but across the globe, including in the United States by Indian Americans.

Tata’s quiet demeanour, love for animals, humility and kindness enhanced his international profile. His concern for other humans and immense generosity paved the way for scholarship and research that in turn led to the betterment of health and education of millions of people not just in India, but also beyond.

Tata graduated from Cornell with a degree in architecture. In the years that followed, his visionary leadership and philanthropy, coupled with his commitment to humanity, had a huge global impact in advancing education and research across various sectors, as J. Meejin Yoon, the Dean of Cornell University College of Architecture, Art, and Planning pointed out.

Tata, who served three terms as a Cornell trustee from 2006 to 2022, was named Cornell’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013. It is thus natural that the US media would widely cover his life and death.

Here’s how the US media covered Tata’s death:

The New York Times’ headline reads “Ratan Tata, Whose Indian Business Empire Went Global, Dies at 86”. The article described Tata as “one of India’s most powerful and admired magnates, who transformed his family’s business conglomerate, the Tata Group, into a multinational corporation with globally recognizable brands”.

CNN’s headline reads, “Ratan Tata, Indian tycoon who took his empire global, dead at 86”. CNN mentioned how Tata rose to global prominence with various “high-profile international deals,” and mentioned how he “oversaw Tata Motors’ purchase of British car brands Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford (F).” The outlet also touched on Tata’s effort to improve “the lot of India’s many stray animals.”

CNBC’s headline reads, “Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, dies at age 86”. The outlet detailed Tata’s achievements, including the fact that he “pioneered commercial aviation in India when it launched an airline in 1932 that later became Air India” and that he “ received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000 and “Padma Vibhushan” in 2008.”

CBS News headlined its story, “Ratan Tata, Indian magnate who built global conglomerate Tata Group, is dead at 86’. LIke the other outlets, CBS News also wrote about Tata’s achievements.

Fox 2’s article is headlined, “Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons, dies at 86”. Its article also focuses on Tata’s achievements and tributes that are pouring in for him.