NEW DELHI >> Ratan Tata, a former chairman of Indian conglomerate Tata Sons hailed as a visionary business leader, died at a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. He was 86.

Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran confirmed Tata’s death and described him in a statement as his “friend, mentor, and guide.” He did not provide a cause of death.

Tata was admitted this week to the Breach Candy Hospital in south Mumbai, the city where he lived. Soon after he was hospitalized, Tata issued a statement on Monday saying there was no cause for concern and he was undergoing checkups for age-related medical conditions.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi described Tata as a visionary leader, and a compassionate and 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,” Modi said on X.

“Tata endeared himself to several people, thanks to his humility, kindness and an unwavering commitment to making our society better,” Modi said, referring to his philanthropy.

‘Making India better’

Google CEO Sundar Pichai said Ratan Tata left behind an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy and he was instrumental in developing modern business leadership in India.

“My last meeting with Ratan Tata at Google, we talked about the progress of Waymo and his vision was inspiring to hear,” Pichai said on X, referring to Google’s self-driving car concept. “He deeply cared about making India better.”

Fellow industrialist Harsh Goenka called him a “titan.”

Tata received the Padma Bhushan, one of India’s most distinguished civilian awards, in 2000.

Industrial legacy

Tata Group is a sprawling collection of nearly 100 companies, including the country’s largest automaker, the largest private steel company and a leading outsourcing firm. The companies employ more than 350,000 people worldwide. In June 2008, Tata bought Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford Motor Co. for $2.3 billion.

The company pioneered commercial aviation in India when it launched an airline in 1932 that later became Air India.

Tata companies include Tata Steel, Tata Motors, Tata Power and the information technology company Tata Consultancy Services.

Ratan Tata graduated from Cornell University with a bachelor’s degree in architecture. He joined the Tata group in 1961 and succeeded J.R.D. Tata as chairman in 1991.

In December 2012, Tata retired as chairman of the Tata Sons. He briefly served as interim chairman beginning Oct. 2016. He returned to retirement in 2017 when Chandrasekaran was appointed chairman of the Tata Group.