Veteran industrialist and Tata Sons Chairman Emeritus Ratan Tata’s family members were present for his funeral service and final rites on Thursday, amid a sea of mourners who paid their last respects to the national icon.
Ratan Tata’s ailing younger brother, Jimmy Naval Tata, arrived to pay his last respects while stepmother Simone Tata also came for the final rites in a wheelchair.
Jimmy, who is the younger son from Naval Tata’s first marriage to Soonoo Tata, is known to live a quiet life. He and Ratan Tata were adopted by their grandmother Navajbai Tata when their parents got divorced.
Naval Tata then married Simone Tata, who had Noel Tata, whose children Neville, Maya and Leah are also potential successors to the Tata legacy.
Jimmy mostly remains out of the public spotlight and resides in a humble 2 BHK in Mumbai. He holds a significant number of shares in various Tata Group companies including Tata Steel, Tata Motors and TCS.
Tata’s stepbrother Noel Tata, a strong contender to inherit the family legacy, was also spotted at the funeral service. He was seen accepting condolences from high-profile business leaders, including Reliance Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani, politicians, film stars and Tata employees.