Ratan Tata, the former Tata Group chairman who put a staid and sprawling Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, has died, the Tata Group said in a statement late on Wednesday. He was 86.

Ratan Tata, the iconic Indian business tycoon and branding genius, passed away at 86. His legacy offers lessons in marketing, innovation, and social responsibility.

The former Tata Group chairman was seen as a visionary who turned an India-focused family-run business group into a global conglomerate and was admired for his philanthropy.