Former chairman of Tata Sons Ratan Tata died on Wednesday at the age of 86. His impact is not limited to the business sphere but also affects Indian sports, especially cricket.
Ratan Tata has been at the head of Tata Group for more than two decades, and during his period, the company has expanded its business and spread its operations worldwide. He was also recognised as a successful businessman as well as a philanthropist and a social worker. He was awarded the Padma Vibhushan, the second-highest civilian honour in India, in the field of trade and industry in 2008.
Apart from business, Tata had a special interest in sports, particularly cricket. His patronage of Indian cricketers was immense; many leading players received assistance from companies of the Tata Group. Mohinder Amarnath, VVS Laxman, and Yuvraj Singh are few of the many cricketers who got support through different Tata ventures like Air India, Indian Airlines, etc. Other more modern cricketers who had similar backups included Shardul Thakur and Jayant Yadav, which was a testament to Tata’s long-standing policy of supporting sporting talents.
Tata was involved in cricket as sponsors that include the Titan Cup in 1996 and the more recent record-breaking title sponsorship of the IPL. He did a lot to make the environment rich for cricket in India and contributed immensely to the development of the sport.
The death of Ratan Tata has brought condolences from the cricket fraternity. Current and past players have taken to social media to mourn his demise, while others have been able to pay tribute to his contribution both on the pitch and in the community. Thus, with the people of India mourning the loss of this great icon, his contribution to business and sports will still be felt by generations to come.
