While scrolling through her mobile phone, Scorch came across a shocking piece of news. “Mysticals,” Scorch said in a daze, “Cyrus Mistry died in a road accident on September 4. He was 54 years old.”
Verum gasped, “Mistry, the Indian businessman?”
Scorch nodded and said, “He was on his way to Mumbai in Maharashtra from Ahmedabad in Gujarat. Mistry was in a car, along with a few of his acquaintances and friends. Mistry was seated in the back seat of the car. As per news reports, somewhere near an area named Palghar, the car dashed against the divider, causing a high-impact accident. The investigation has claimed that he was not wearing the seatbelt.”
“Oh no,” Orak said, “Seatbelts are important for the safety of passengers.”
“Scorch, can you tell us about his journey in the world of business?” Felix said.
“Yes,” said Scorch.
“Mistry graduated from the London Business School in England. He was the youngest son of Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, who was also a businessman. Mistry’s family founded the Shapoorji Pallonji group. It is one of India’s largest construction companies,” Scorch said.
“Apart from business,” Scorch added, “Mistry loved playing golf and reading.”
“Along with this family background and his business acumen, Mistry will also be remembered for a famous court case. Right, Scorch?” said Verum.
Scorch replied, “Yes, you are right, Verum. In 2012, Mistry was appointed as the chairman of Tata Group. Tata Group is one of India’s largest group of companies. Mistry was only the second non-Tata person to become the boss of the company. Before him, the position was held by family members of the founder.
Mistry aimed to bring many changes to the company. But there were some disagreements over business strategy. The company criticized his performance and removed him in 2016. It led to a five-year-long legal battle. The Tata Group won the case.”
Scorch continued, “All the people who knew Mistry have expressed grief and sadness on his untimely passing. Messages poured in from businessmen and political leaders of India, including the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, who took to Twitter and expressed his remorse.”
“May he rest in peace and all those who drive any vehicle should be super careful on the roads,” Orak said.
“You too, since you drive the tempus machine. You should be careful in space with all the asteroids and rocks floating around,” remarked Verum. Orak, Scorch, and Felix nodded in agreement.