The mood in India turned sombre after the demise of Ratan Tata at a Mumbai hospital late on Wednesday.

Social media started bursting at the seams with rich tributes for the veteran industrialist, who put India on the global map with his innovative thinking and rare leadership acumen.

Leading the tributes was Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took to social media platform X to describe him as a visionary business leader, compassionate soul and an extraordinary human being.

"One of the most unique aspects of Shri Ratan Tata Ji was his passion towards dreaming big and giving back. He was at the forefront of championing causes like education, healthcare, sanitation, animal welfare to name a few," he said on X.

Modi said Tata provided stable leadership to one of India’s oldest and most prestigious business houses, Tata Group, and at the same time his contribution went far beyond the boardroom.

"We would exchange views on diverse issues. I found his perspectives very enriching. These interactions continued when I came to Delhi. Extremely pained by his passing away. My thoughts are with his family, friends and admirers in this sad hour," PM Modi added.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh said, "He was a Titan of the Indian industry known for his monumental contributions to our economy, trade and industry. My deepest condolences to his family, friends and admirers."

Adani, Ambani remember 'a giant, a visionary'

India's top tycoons Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and auto legend Anand Mahindra also joined in.

"It is a very sad day for India and India Inc. Ratan Tata's passing away is a big loss, not just to the Tata Group, but to every Indian," Ambani said in his condolence message. "At a personal level, the passing of Ratan Tata has filled me with immense grief as I lost a dear friend."

Recalling his numerous interactions with Tata that left him "inspired and energised", he said Ratan Tata was a visionary industrialist and philanthropist who always strove for society's greater good.

Interactions with him "enhanced my respect for the nobility of his character and the fine human values he embodied," Ambani said in a statement.

"With the demise of Mr Ratan Tata, India has lost one of her most illustrious and kind-hearted sons. Mr Tata took India to the world and brought the best of the world to Bharat. He institutionalised the House of Tata and made it an international enterprise growing the Tata group over 70 times since the time he took over as Chairman in 1991," he added.

"Ratan, you will always remain in my heart."

Adani said India has lost "a giant, a visionary who redefined modern India's path".

"Ratan Tata wasn't just a business leader - he embodied the spirit of India with integrity, compassion and an unwavering commitment to the greater good. Legends like him never fade away. Om Shanti," he said in a post on X.

Union minister Nitin Gadkari said India has lost an ideal and accomplished son. He knew Tata for over three decades and learnt a lot from him, said the Union road transport minister. “I am stunned after hearing the news of the death of a great son of India,” the senior BJP leader wrote on Facebook.

Gadkari said he was privileged to have witnessed Tata’s simplicity and the respect he gave to someone much smaller than him. As a big industrialist, Tata made important contribution to the country's economic development and job creation, he added.

In a statement, Devendra Fadnavis said Tata was known to the world as a successful industrialist, but he was also an icon whose contribution transcended to several social areas. His work in the areas of education, rural development, malnourishment and health was remarkable, the BJP leader said. Tata's compassion was visible through the work done by the Tata Trust for cancer patients or establishment of a hospital for animals, he said.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge also expressed sadness over Tata's death, saying that in his passing away "we have lost an invaluable son of India".

"A philanthropist par excellence whose commitment to India’s inclusive growth and development remained paramount, Shri Tata was synonymous with unequivocal integrity and ethical leadership," Kharge said on X.

"He was an inspiration and an icon for millions of people and richly contributed to nation building. Our condolences to his loved ones and admirers," Kharge said.

Rahul Gandhi, in a post on X, said, "Ratan Tata was a man with a vision. He has left a lasting mark on both business and philanthropy. My condolences to his family and the Tata community."

The Congress party said it is deeply saddened by the passing of Padma Vibhushan Ratan Tata, "a titan of Indian industry and a philanthropist who shaped India's corporate landscape".

"His integrity and compassion will continue to inspire future generations of corporates, entrepreneurs and Indians," the party said in a post on X.

"Our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends and well wishers," it said.

Google’s India-born chief executive Sundar Pichai said the veteran industrialist cared about making India better. “He leaves an extraordinary business and philanthropic legacy and was instrumental in mentoring and developing the modern business leadership in India. He deeply cared about making India better,” Pichai said in a post on X.

Anand Mahindra, chairman of the Mahindra Group, said Tata’s mentorship and guidance would have been invaluable at this point when India’s economy is on the cusp of a historic leap forward. “With him gone, all we can do is to commit to emulating his example. Because he was a businessman for whom financial wealth and success was most useful when it was put to the service of the global community,” Mahindra wrote on X.

RPG Enterprises’ Harsh Goenka said the “clock has stopped ticking” with the death of the “titan”. “Tata was a beacon of integrity, ethical leadership and philanthropy, who has imprinted an indelible mark on the world of business and beyond. He will forever soar high in our memories,” he said.

Veteran banker Uday Kotak said Tata made India proud and his legacy remains in posterity. Kiran Majumdar Shaw, executive chairperson of Biocon, shared a picture of herself with Tata, calling him a “great man and a great mind”.