Did Ratan Tata ‘secretly’ visit Pakistan?

In a surprising claim, Pakistan’s Aziz Ahmed Khan who served as High Commissioner to India from 2003 to 2006, said that the former Tata Group chairman Ratan Tata ‘secretly’ visited Pakistan, as per an ANI video.

The video, which was posted in January this year, provides excerpts from Khan’s interview in which he talks in-depth about the veteran industrialist's visit to the neighbouring nation.

“There was a time when there was so much interest in India on investment in Pakistan. I recall that Tata Group came in a big way to Pakistan. Even Ratan Tata paid a visit here with his 5 directors. He visited very quietly and neither Indian nor Pakistani media were aware of it,” said Khan, as per the ANI video.


Tata Group was keen to invest in Pakistan, said Khan.

ET Online has not verified these reports.

Ratan Tata passes away:

Ratan Tata who put a staid and sprawling Indian conglomerate on the global stage with a string of high-profile acquisitions, passed away on Wednesday.

Tata, who ran the conglomerate for more than 20 years as chairman, had been undergoing intensive care in a Mumbai hospital, two sources with direct knowledge of his medical situation told Reuters earlier on Wednesday.

His pet projects at Tata Motors included the Indica - the first car model designed and built in India - as well as the Nano, touted as the world's cheapest car. He contributed initial sketches for both models.

A licensed pilot who would occasionally fly the company plane, Ratan Tata never married and was known for his quiet demeanour, relatively modest lifestyle and philanthropic work.

After he stepped back from the Tata Group, Ratan Tata became known as a prominent investor in Indian startups, backing a plethora of companies including digital payments firm Paytm , Ola Electric, a unit of ride hailing firm Ola, and home and beauty services provider Urban Company.

Among his many awards, he received the Padma Vibhushan, India's second highest civilian honour, in 2008 for exceptional and distinguished service in trade and industry.