Politicians, industry leaders express shock at Cyrus Mistry's death

Union ministers Piyush Goyal and Nitin Gadkari on Sunday expressed shock at the death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry in a road accident and said the Indian industry has lost one of its shining stars.

Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra and RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka also mourned Mistry's death, describing him as someone destined for greatness and a man of substance.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday condoled the demise of Mistry and said his passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce and industry.

"The untimely demise of Shri Cyrus Mistry is shocking. He was a promising business leader who believed in India's economic prowess," Modi said in a tweet.

"His passing away is a big loss to the world of commerce and industry. Condolences to his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," the prime minister said.

In a tweet, Minister of Commerce & Industry, Consumer Affairs & Food & Public Distribution and Textiles, Goyal said, "Deeply anguished & shocked by the sudden passing away of Cyrus Mistry. Indian industry has lost one of its shining stars whose contributions to India's economic progress will always be remembered." Similarly, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari in a tweet said, "Deeply saddened to know about the unfortunate demise of Ex-Chairman of Tata Sons, Cyrus Mistry Ji in a road accident near Palghar, Maharashtra. Sincerest condolences to his family members. May he Rest In Peace. Om Shanti."

Mahindra in a tweet said it was "hard to digest" the news of Mistry's death. "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," he wrote.

Goenka also expressed shock at the demise of Mistry and wrote in a tweet, "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."

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Sunday condoled the death of former Tata Sons chairman Cyrus Mistry, saying it was not just a loss for his family but for the entire business world.

Terming the death of the 54-year-old industrialist as "shocking", Shinde said Mistry was not just a successful industrialist, but a young and visionary entrepreneur as the business world looked up to him with hope.

"His death is a loss not just for the Mistry family, but for the entire business world," the CM said.

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) MP Supriya Sule said Mistry was like a brother to her.

"His death is shocking for me. I have seen his elevation as the Tata Sons head as well as the subsequent turbulence. He and his wife had gone through a lot of struggle in the last four years. I still cannot believe that he has passed away,” she said.

How many times do we have to talk about road safety, she wondered.

“I used to tease him for his simplicity and low profile life. I had once gone to the Taj Hotel, which is a part of Tata Group, with Cyrus and my husband and surprisingly, the attendant did not recognise Cyrus at all,” Sule said.

“It is a personal loss for me and my husband Sadanand Sule,” said the parliamentarian, who is the daughter of NCP chief Sharad Pawar.

Girish Kuber, the editor of Marathi daily Loksatta and author of the book 'Tatayan' based on the Tata Group, said Mistry had a vision for industrial growth and was well known for his command over statistical data.

"The Mistry family had maximum holding in the Tata Group,” he said.

“Mistry had good intentions to reorganise the Tata Group's finances and its structure. In Mistry's death, we have lost a promising personality from the industry,” Kuber said.

His book focuses on the business and growth of the Tata Group.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)