Industrialist Ratan Tata, in an exclusive interview with NDTV in 2010, recalled an interesting conversation he had with a fellow billionaire. Mr Tata said the billionaire suggested he pay Rs 15 crore to a minister for an undisclosed business deal.
Mr Tata, of course, refused. The fellow industrialist then asked Mr Tata, “How do you avoid corruption?”
To which, Mr Tata replied, “It has to be self-regulating. You will never understand.”
Mr Tata died at the age of 86 in a Mumbai hospital on Wednesday. Mr Tata’s death marks the end of an era in Indian business, where a man reshaped the country’s industrial landscape and catapulted his family-owned conglomerate into a global powerhouse. His death has drawn an outpouring of grief and tributes from across the country.
“I want to go to bed at night feeling that I have not done it (corruption),” Mr Tata said.
Mr Tata will be cremated today with full state honours. Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde also announced a day of mourning to honour the legendary industrialist and philanthropist. The national flag will be flown at half-mast across government offices in Maharashtra as a mark of respect. Many events scheduled for Thursday have been cancelled.
Mr Tata’s body will be kept at the National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) in Mumbai’s Nariman Point from 10 am to 4 pm today, where people can pay their last respects.