Cyrus Mistry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Cyrus Mistry
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| Born |
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry
4 July 1968 Bombay, Maharashtra, India
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| Died | 4 September 2022 (aged 54) Palghar, Maharashtra, India
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| Citizenship | Irish |
| Alma mater |
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| Occupation | Businessman |
| Spouse(s) |
Rohiqa Mistry
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 2 |
| Parent(s) |
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| Relatives | Noel Tata (brother-in-law) |
Cyrus Pallonji Mistry (born 4 July 1968 – died 4 September 2022) was a well-known businessman. He was born in India but was an Irish citizen. From 2012 to 2016, he was the chairman of the Tata Group, a very large Indian business company. He was the sixth person to lead the Tata Group. Interestingly, he was only the second chairman who did not have the Tata last name.
In 2012, a special group chose him to lead the Tata Group. He officially took charge in December of that year. However, in October 2016, the board of Tata Sons (the main company of the Tata Group) decided to remove him from his position. After this, the former chairman, Ratan Tata, returned for a short time. Later, Natarajan Chandrasekaran became the new chairman.
Cyrus Mistry owned a significant part of Tata Sons through his company. At the time of his death, he was one of the richest people in India. He was also a member of the National Integration Council, a group that works to promote unity in India. Sadly, he died in a car crash on 4 September 2022, on a highway near Mumbai. Investigations showed that the crash was caused by a poorly designed road and because people in the car were not wearing seat belts.
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Early Life and Education
Cyrus Mistry was born on 4 July 1968, in Bombay (now called Mumbai), India. He came from a Parsi family. His father, Pallonji Mistry, was a very successful builder and businessman. His mother was born in Ireland, and his father also became an Irish citizen.
The Mistry family has been involved in business for more than 100 years. In the 1930s, Cyrus's grandfather first bought shares in Tata Sons. The Mistry family's share in Tata Sons is still very large, making them important partners in the company.
Cyrus went to the famous Cathedral and John Connon School in Mumbai. He then studied civil engineering at Imperial College London in England, finishing in 1990. Later, he went to London Business School and earned a degree in management in 1996.
Career
Cyrus Mistry started working at his family's construction company, Shapoorji Pallonji & Co. Ltd, in 1991. He became a director there. He also served as the managing director of Shapoorji Pallonji & Company. Later, he became the chairman of both Tata Sons and the entire Tata Group.
In 2013, Cyrus Mistry was chosen to be the chairman of Tata Sons. This meant he also led many other big Tata companies. These included Tata Steel, Tata Motors (which makes cars), Tata Consultancy Services (a major tech company), Tata Power, and Tata Global Beverages.
On 24 October 2016, the board of Tata Sons decided to remove Mistry from his role as chairman.
Legal Challenges
After he was removed, Cyrus Mistry challenged the decision in court. In July 2018, a court called the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) ruled in favor of Tata Sons. Mistry said he would appeal this decision.
In December 2019, another court, the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT), said that Mistry should be put back as chairman. They also said that the appointment of the new chairman, Natarajan Chandrasekaran, was not legal. However, Tata Sons appealed this decision to the Supreme Court of India.
In January 2020, the Supreme Court stopped the NCLAT's order. This meant Mistry was not reinstated as chairman. The Supreme Court later confirmed that his dismissal was valid.
Personal Life
Cyrus Mistry was married to Rohiqa Chagla. They had two sons named Firoz and Zahan.
Even though he was born in India, Cyrus Mistry was an Irish citizen. He also had Overseas Citizenship of India, which allowed him to live and work permanently in India. He saw himself as a "global citizen," meaning he felt connected to people all over the world.
His father, Pallonji Mistry, passed away on 28 June 2022, just a few months before Cyrus.
Death
On 4 September 2022, Cyrus Mistry and three members of the Pandole family visited a holy place called Iranshah Atash Behram. They went there to offer prayers after the recent deaths of Dinshaw Pandole and Cyrus's father, Pallonji Mistry.
While they were driving back to Mumbai, their car crashed. The accident happened on a bridge over the Surya River, near a place called Charoti. Cyrus Mistry and Jehangir Pandole were sitting in the back seat. They were not wearing their seat belts. They died instantly from severe injuries. The driver and another passenger in the front seat were wearing seat belts and survived, though they were injured.
Investigation into the Crash
A team of experts investigated the car crash. They found two main reasons for the accident and the deaths. First, the bridge where the crash happened had a "faulty design." The road suddenly changed from three lanes to two lanes, and there was a concrete barrier that was hard to see. Second, the people who died were not wearing their seat belts.
The investigation showed that the road design was a problem. The concrete barrier was not painted brightly, and there were no warning signs. Many crashes had happened at the same spot before. Cyrus Mistry's death started a big discussion in India about road safety and the importance of wearing seat belts, especially for passengers in the back seats. The government later announced that it would start fining people who don't wear seat belts in the back of a car.
