Air India pilot reveals ‘such a humble gesture’ by Ratan Tata: ‘He stopped me…’

Air India captain Zoya Agarwal remembered her meeting with Ratan Tata in social media posts shared after the industrialist’s death. The chairman emeritus of Tata Sons died in Mumbai last night after a brief illness. He was 86.
Social media has since been flooded with tributes to the visionary leader and philanthropist who touched millions of lives with his businesses, charity initiatives and scholarship programmes.
Among several such anecdotes that have flooded social media, one was shared by Captain Zoya Agarwal, who said her meeting with Ratan Tata left a “profound impact” on her.
Captain Zoya said she once flew Ratan Tata from New York to Delhi. At the end of the flight, she asked the legendary industrialist for a picture. Ratan Tata graciously obliged – but when the pilot made to get up, he stopped her and asked her to remain seated. Instead, the billionaire industrialist stood behind the captain for the photograph in a gesture that left a lasting impression on her.
“I asked for a picture at the end of the flight, and as I went to get up, he stopped me and said, ‘Captain, this is your throne. You’ve earned it.’ He came behind me—such a humble gesture that solidified my beliefs about leadership,” wrote Captain Zoya on X.
She also shared the photograph that shows her with Ratan Tata, praising the business leader’s “humility and grace.”
“This photo was meant for my personal inspiration, but today, I feel compelled to share it to dedicate my gratitude, inspiring and melancholy for a legend whose legacy will live on,” she wrote.

Captain Zoya, a senior commander with Air India, concluded her post by saying that Ratan Tata’s legacy would live on in the hearts of billions whose lives he has touched. Her words echoed the sentiments of thousands who have shared tributes to Ratan Tata.
In a statement earlier, Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “It is with a profound sense of loss that we bid farewell to Mr Ratan Naval Tata, a truly uncommon leader whose immeasurable contributions have shaped not only the Tata Group but also the very fabric of our nation”.
Ratan Tata’s final rites were performed at Mumbai’s Worli Crematorium earlier today.