Pawar and four others died after the plane they were travelling in crashed in India's Maharashtra state.
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Pawar and four others died after the chartered plane they were travelling in crashed at the airport in Baramati - Pawar's constituency - on Wednesday morning.
India's civil aviation minister said visibility was poor at the airport at the time of the crash. The aviation regulator has launched an investigation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi called Pawar's death "shocking and saddening" and praised his service to the people of Maharashtra. His funeral will be held on Thursday morning.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis described his death as "an immeasurable loss" and announced three days of mourning in the state.
Pawar was one of Maharashtra's most influential leaders, governing in coalition with India's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The 66-year-old was affectionately called 'dada', a term for elder brother in the Marathi language, by party workers and the public.
Sanjay Raut, from the state's opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) party, said Pawar's death was a "dark day".
"Without Dada, the political landscape of Maharashtra is incomplete. He had an open-hearted personality and every party worker admired him," he said.
Federal Home Minister Amit Shah, opposition leader Rahul Gandhi and others have also paid tribute.
Ajit Pawar was a towering figure in Maharashtra's politics.
For decades, he was a key member of the Nationalist Congress Party founded by his uncle, veteran politician Sharad Pawar.
In his early years in politics, he focused on the grassroots and built networks with workers' unions and local co-operative banks.
He was elected to the Maharashtra legislative assembly from Baramati for the first time in 1991 and would be re-elected from the same constituency several times, reflecting his strong connection with voters.
Pawar
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