A nation mourns: Thousands bid farewell to industrialist Ratan Tata

Crowds of mourners gathered in India's financial capital, Mumbai, on Thursday for the funeral of industrialist Ratan Tata, who was hailed as a "titan" who led one of the country's largest conglomerates.

Tata, who died on Wednesday at the age of 86, transformed the Tata Group into a sprawling international enterprise with a portfolio ranging from software to sports cars. His coffin, draped in an Indian flag, was flanked by a guard of honour, with a marching band of trumpets and drums accompanying the procession.

Mumbai has declared a day of mourning, with the funeral rites to take place on Thursday afternoon.

The hundreds who queued to pay tribute on Thursday included ordinary mourners, high-profile business leaders, politicians, and Tata employees.

Abdul Khan, 52, described Tata's passing as both a "personal loss" and a "loss for the country", praising him for his philanthropy. "He made so many lives better, not just the people who worked for him, but everybody," he said.

Tributes also poured in from fellow industrialists, with Asia's richest man, Mukesh Ambani, saying it was a "big loss, not just to the Tata group, but to every Indian".