Cyrus Mistry, who succeeded Ratan Tata as chairman of the conglomerate but was later ousted in India’s most high-profile boardroom coup, was killed in a car accident in Maharashtra’s Palghar on Sunday, said police.
Mr Mistry was travelling from Ahmedabad to Mumbai in a Mercedes car, it added.
Pictures from the accident site showed the mangled remains of the silver Mercedes car. The accident happened when the car hit the road divider at Charoti area of Palghar, 135 km from Mumbai.
“The accident took place around 3.15 pm, when Mistry was travelling to Mumbai from Ahmedabad. The accident took place on a bridge over the Surya river. It seems an accident,” said Palghar district superintendent of police, Balasaheb Patil.
Two other persons travelling with him, including the car driver, were injured. All the injured persons have been shifted to a hospital in Gujarat.
Union Minister of Commerce Piyush Goyal tweeted his condolences, terming him Indian industry’s “shining star”.
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.
My heartfelt condolences to his family & friends. pic.twitter.com/74bzEPsr3a
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 4, 2022
RPG Enterprises Chairman Harsh Goenka remembered Mr Mistry as “a friend, gentleman, a man of substance”.
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.
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) September 4, 2022
Supriya Sule, Sharad Pawar’s daughter, said she was devastated.
Devastating News My Brother Cyrus Mistry passed away. Can’t believe it.
Rest in Peace Cyrus. pic.twitter.com/YEz7VDkWCY
— Supriya S
“Gone too soon”, tweeted Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi.
Mr Mistry, who was the sixth chairman of Tata Sons, was ousted from the position in October 2016. He had taken over as the chairman in December 2012 after Ratan Tata announced his retirement.