Mumbai: Shantanu Naidu, the youngest general manager of Tata Trusts and a close confidant of the late industrialist Ratan Tata, was unexpectedly stopped by the Mumbai Police as he rode his motorcycle to National Centre for Performing Arts (NCPA) Lawns to pay his final respects.
A video of the October 10 encounter has gone viral on social media in which the visibly emotional Naidu is seen explaining to the officers that he intended to attend the funeral procession of his mentor. Naidu rode in front with several police cars escorting the hearse to the NCPA for public viewing.
जब #RatanTataSir के बेहद करीबी शांतनु नायडू को मुंबई पुलिस के सामने अपना परिचय देना पड़ा..#ShantanuNaidu #RatanTataPassedAway pic.twitter.com/pCCuOo0xXl pic.twitter.com/HT01zRONGp
— Prashant Yadav (@Yadavprashant_0) October 10, 2024
Earlier that day, he was seen driving the truck bearing the remains of his mentor, who passed away on October 9 at the age of 86 after a brief illness, out of Tata’s residence.
These moments encapsulated Naidu’s close relationship with Tata, which transcended professional duties.
In his LinkedIn post, reflecting on his close friendship with the national icon, he wrote: “The hole that this friendship has now left with me, I will spend the rest of my life trying to fill. Grief is the price to pay for love. Goodbye, my dear lighthouse.”
Ratan Tata had hired the 29-year-old in May 2022. He came into the public eye when a video of him celebrating Tata’s birthday resonated with Tata’s fans across the country. Naidu is also known for his innovative ideas. During his stint with Tata Elxsi, he developed a concept of “dog collars” to enhance visibility at night, to address the issue of dog fatalities due to traffic accidents.