Ratan Tata Showed Resilience During 26/11 Attacks

Ratan Tata Showed Resilience During the 26/11 Terror Attacks

Mumbai’s iconic Taj Mahal Hotel was commissioned by Ratan Tata’s great-grandfather, Jamshedji Tata. The hotel opened its doors on December 16, 1903. This landmark was one of the two luxury hotels targeted during the November 26, 2008, terrorist attacks.

A total of 166 people were killed during the coordinated attacks, with 31 fatalities occurring at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel. These brutal attacks tested Ratan Tata’s resilience, but he stood tall and remarked, “What was meant to break us became the source of our strength.” Of the 31 victims at the hotel, 11 were staff members.

According to a BBC report, Ratan Tata vowed to care for the families of the hotel employees who were killed or injured. He also pledged to pay the relatives of the deceased staff members the “salaries they would have earned for the rest of their lives.”

The billionaire businessman spent over Rs 83 crore on restoration works within 21 months. A month after the attacks, the Tata Group established the Taj Public Service Welfare Trust (TPSWT) to provide immediate support to those impacted.

“Over the years, the trust’s purpose has expanded to address complex issues affecting survivors and the families of those deceased due to both man-made and natural disasters,” reads an official statement.

On the 11th anniversary of the attacks, Ratan Tata shared a post on Instagram, stating, “The memories of standing outside helpless, and the carnage and loss of life are still fresh and painful.” He emphasized, “We take pride in the spirit and unity displayed by Mumbai on that day.”

On the 13th anniversary, Ratan Tata reiterated, “The hurt we endured 13 years ago can never be undone. However, we should continue to let the memory of the attacks, which were meant to break us, become a source of our strength as we honor those we lost.”