Mumbai: Prominent leaders, industrialists and common people on Thursday paid last respects to industrial legend Ratan Naval Tata - who passed away on Wednesday night - at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA) lawns at Nariman Point in south Mumbai where his body has been kept for public viewing before last rites later in the day.
Prominent among those who paid respects were Kumar Birla, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar and Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar.
Union Home Minister Amit Shah is will arrive in Mumbai at 1 pm to pay homage to Tata.
The Maharashtra government has announced that the industrialist would be accorded a funeral with full state honours in the evening.
The state has also declared a day's official mourning in memory of the departed business titan, as a pall of gloom fell over the country's corporate world after the sad news spread.
The national flag is being flown at half-mast at all public building in Tata's honour, and all official entertainment programmes for the day have been cancelled.
Tata, 86, breathed his last at the Breach Candy Hospital where he was admitted on Monday for certain age-related health issues.
Around 4 pm, Tata's body would embark on the final journey from Nariman Point to the Worli Crematorium prayer hall for the last rites.
Later, the body shall be draped in the National Flag, he will be given a police gun salute and his mortal remains shall be consigned to the flames, said the family.
