The Bihar postal circle has released a special cover as a tribute to industrialist and philanthropist Ratan Naval Tata, who passed away on Wednesday.

The special cover commemorates his contributions to the nation, society and industrial development.

Tata breathed his last at the Breach Candy Hospital in Mumbai at the age of 86.

The special cover, released at a programme organised by Bihar circle chief postmaster general (CPMG) Anil Kumar on Thursday evening, throws light on Tata’s visionary leadership and adherence to the social ethos of public welfare as the objective of all activities. Apart from being a tribute, the cover will also serve as a collector’s item.

The back of the special cover.

Emphasising the importance of honouring exemplary leaders like Tata, who left a profound impact on society, Kumar said: “This special cover is a tribute and a way for us to remember and appreciate the values that Ratan Tata upheld throughout his life.”

The special cover uses a photograph of rolled steel — to denote the Tata Steel company — as its base. A sketch of Ratan Tata and various photographs from different phases of his life were superimposed on it, along with pictures of an Air India plane and a Tata Nano car.

The cover also shows a stamp that was released to commemorate the centenary year of the industrial city of Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) in 2020, with the cancellation depicting Tata.

The back of the special cover carries a brief biography of Ratan Tata and says his grandfather J.R.D. Tata made history by flying the first commercial airmail service in India from Mumbai to Karachi on October 15, 1932.

The back depicts separate postal stamps on J.R.D. Tata and Air India International (started by J.R.D. Tata) and one issued on the centenary of Tata Steel.

Speaking on the occasion, philatelist Pradeep Jain emphasised the importance of the special cover as a unique collector’s item and a symbol of respect for Tata’s contributions.