In Indian culture, touching someone’s feet is seen as a sign of respect, and Murthy’s gesture was praised on social media.

Ratan Naval Tata, the chairman emeritus of Tata Sons, who passed away in Mumbai on Wednesday evening, was an industry stalwart who was widely respected and admired by India Inc.’s leaders. Infosys founder Narayana Murthy is no exception to that rule. A few years ago Murthy presented the Lifetime Achievement Award to Ratan Tata during the TiEconMumbai Hall of Fame Awards ceremony.
What stood out was Murthy’s gesture of touching Ratan Tata’s feet after handing over the award to him. In Indian culture, touching someone’s feet is seen as a sign of respect, and Murthy’s gesture was praised on social media.
Honoring Ratan Tata at the function, Murthy said, “What can you say about a humanist, an industrialist, a philanthropist and a perfect gentleman? All I can say is that I feel privileged and honored to have followed in his footsteps.”
Stating that Tata has shown immense respect for the word business, Murthy added, “I think all of you entrepreneurs gathered here must deserve to belong to the same club as him.”

Murthy further said that those who honor Ratan Tata are themselves honored. “He (Ratan Tata) has received numerous awards from countries and institutions around the world. It’s too long a list. All I can say is that they honored themselves by honoring him.”
Ratan Naval Tata, a visionary leader who transformed the Tata Group into a global powerhouse, passed away at Breach Candy Hospital on Wednesday evening around 11 pm. His passing brings to an end a remarkable entrepreneurial journey that not only reshaped the Tata Group but also set new standards for the Indian industry on the international stage.

During his tenure, the group’s revenues saw a significant increase, from $4 billion in 1991 to over $100 billion in 2012 when he retired, making it the first Indian conglomerate to achieve such a milestone. Tata’s leadership also witnessed Tata Sons strengthening its control over group companies, requiring them to pay royalties for use of the Tata brand.
Also read | A Legacy to Remember: Top 20 Ratan Tata Quotes
He led the group’s expansion into new sectors such as telecom and passenger vehicles, and played a pivotal role in driving innovation through pioneering projects such as Indica, India’s first indigenous car; Nano, the world’s most affordable vehicle; and Ginger, a budget hotel chain.
In addition, he oversaw more than 60 acquisitions that expanded the group’s reach. Under his leadership, Tata Consultancy Services went public, becoming the only major Tata company to do so.