‘He was destined for greatness’: India Inc grieves Cyrus Mistry’s death

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry on Sunday died in a car accident in Maharashtra’s Palghar. He was 54 years old. His death led to an outpour of grief and shock among his industry colleagues.

Chairperson of Mahindra and Mahindra, Anand Mahindra, said it was hard to digest the news. Mahindra said he was convinced Mistry was destined for greatness, but life had other plans for him. In a tweet, he wrote, “Hard to digest this news. I got to know Cyrus well during his all-too-brief tenure as the head of the House of Tata. I was convinced he was destined for greatness. If life had other plans for him, so be it, but life itself should not have been snatched away from him. Om Shanti.”

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In his tribute, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said it was “really tragic that he passed away at such a young age”. “I am deeply saddened by the sudden and untimely demise of Mr Cyrus Mistry. He had a passion for life and it is really tragic that he passed away at such a young age. My deepest condolences and prayers for his family in these difficult times,” he wrote in a statement. Mistry was made chairman of Tata Sons in 2012 before being ousted in 2016 following a public tussle with the country’s top conglomerate.

MD and CEO of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd, Punit Goenka, said it was a massive loss for India Inc. “Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of #CyrusMistry. Prayers and thoughts with the family. Massive loss to India Inc,” he said in a tweet.

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Chairman of RPG Group conglomerate Harsh Goenka said, “So sad to hear of the shocking news of the passing away of #CyrusMistry in an accident. He was a friend, a gentleman, a man of substance. He was instrumental in creating the global construction giant Shapoorji Pallonji and ably led the Tata group.”

Former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry was killed in a road accident near Mumbai on Sunday. According to Palghar Police, Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai when his car hit the divider.

Police said there were four people, including a renowned doctor, in the fateful car. Two people died on the spot, including Mistry, while the other two were shifted to hospital. Apart from Mistry, another deceased has been identified as Jahangir Dinsha Pandole. The injured – Dr Anahita Pandole and Darius Pandole – are currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Maharashtra deputy chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said he has ordered “detailed investigations” into the accident that killed Mistry. “Shocked and deeply pained to know about the demise of Former Chairman of Tata Sons Shri Cyrus Mistry in an unfortunate accident near Palghar.My deepest condolences to his family, friends and colleagues.Spoke to DGP and instructed for detailed investigations,” he tweeted.