Krishna Kumar, who was a close associate of Tata Sons chairman emeritus Ratan Tata, has had interests in Tata’s consulting firm RNT Associates and the group’s charitable foundations, which hold a 66 percent stake in Tata Sons, the Tata Group’s holding company .

On his death, Ratan Tata said: “Words cannot describe the deep sense of loss I feel at the death of my friend and colleague Mr. RK Krishnakumar. I will always fondly remember the camaraderie we shared both within the group and personally. He was a true veteran of the Tata Group and Tata Trusts and will be greatly missed by all.”

Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran said: “Krishna Kumar was a seasoned Tata leader who made a tremendous contribution to the Tata Group throughout his life. I was fortunate to know him and what struck me was his deep compassion as a person. He always wanted to help the less privileged and positively impact their lives. We pray for his departed soul and will miss him greatly.”

Krishna Kumar, known as KK, was instrumental in the £271 million takeover of Tetley in 2000 which not only catapulted Tata Global Beverages to second place among the world’s tea producers, but also the group and India Inc. brought up the international stage. From May 1991 to January 1998 he was Managing Director (MD) of Tata Global Beverages.

He was appointed Vice President and General Manager of the company in 1997 and retired in 2013. Krishna Kumar also served as Vice Chairman at Indian Hotels until 2013.