‘A true friend of S’pore’: PM Wong pays tribute to tycoon’s contributions

Mr Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Indian salt-to-software conglomerate Tata Group, “was a true friend of Singapore, and we will cherish his contributions and legacy”, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong said after the billionaire businessman died on Oct 9, aged 86.

- Arvind Jayaram

In a post on Facebook and other social media on Oct 10, PM Wong said that Mr Tata had a long association with Singapore.

“He was a strong advocate of our country, and made valuable contributions to our economic transformation,” he said.

PM Wong noted that Mr Tata had expanded and diversified Tata’s operations in Singapore, from steel manufacturing to information technology.

He added that Mr Tata’s investments and business acumen helped Singapore tap into higher value-added growth areas.

“He was always generous with his time and advice to Singapore institutions, serving on the advisory boards of EDB (Economic Development Board), MAS (Monetary Authority of Singapore) and (Singapore’s investment company) Temasek.

“For his contributions, he was conferred an honorary Singapore citizenship in 2008,” said the Prime Minister, offering his deepest condolences to Mr Tata’s family and loved ones.

Tata Group had a presence in Singapore long before Mr Tata took over the reins of the company. During the time he served as chairman from 1990 until he stepped down in 2012, and even after that, there is no denying that Singapore was a vital stepping stone to achieving his ambitions of transforming the group into a global behemoth.