How Cyrus Mistry transformed modern India’s landscape

When Cyrus Pallonji Mistry took charge of his family’s century-old empire in 1994, he was one of youngest Indians to helm a leading construction and engineering firm in the country. His induction into the family business had coincided with the country’s first step in the globalised economy with the economic liberalisation in 1991. Mistry occupied the corner office at the sprawling SP Centre at Mumbai’s Colaba as Managing Director of Shapoorji Pallonji & Co three years later at a young age of 26.
 
That, however, hardly became an impediment for achieving the vision that he had for the 150 years old business. Rather, the soft-spoken, humble Parsi tycoon with a childlike smile, ended up transforming the country’s landscape and left behind some of the iconic structures that also boosted India’s prospects in self-reliance. 
 
The 1865-founded group was not only the oldest but also one of the leading privately held construction and engineering companies in the country - having built some of the most recognised and important structures over the years. From Bombay Central Railway Station (1930), Brabourne Stadium (1937), Tata Institute of Fundamental Research & Homi Bhaba Auditorium (1962) to the State Bank of India building (1972) and Lilavati Hospital (1990), its contribution in changing Mumbai’s landscape was significant. Mistry had big shoes to fill.
 
Now, as we look back at his two decades old stint at the helm of Shapoorji Pallonji Group, his achievements are remarkable to say the least. From transforming the landscape of India’s largest city, the group, under Mistry, ended up transforming an aspiring country’s infrastructure that has been dreaming of matching the developed nations since its liberalisation in 1991.
 
Take the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, for instance. Standing at the heart of India’s capital, the JLN Stadium was renovated by the group then led by Mistry, which was the venue of Commonwealth Games in 2010 - a prestigious event for the country. But that’s not all. Over the years, Mistry and his team delivered a number of key projects that have contributed to India's economic progress and betterment of public amenities. 
 
Here are a list of key projects from Mistry’s tenure:
 
1995: Mangalore Refineries Plant (Mangalore, Karnataka)
1996: Mahindra & Mahindra Car plant (Nashik, Maharashtra)
1998: Volvo Truck Factory (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
1999: Diamond Bourse (Mumbai, Maharashtra)
2000: ITC Manufacturing plant (Chirala, Andhra Pradesh), Parle Products plant (Bengaluru), Hindustan Coca-Cola bottling plant (Bhopal, MP)
2001: GE Manufacturing plant (Bengaluru), Tata Thermal Power plant (Jojobera, Jharkhand), Wipro Software Development Complex (Pune, Maharashtra)
2003: IT Park (Bengaluru)
2004: Skoda Car factory (Aurangabad, Maharashtra)
2006: Max Medical Service (Delhi)
2008: BMW India (Chennai, TN), Vidarbha Cricket Stadium (Nagpur, Maharashtra)
2009: DLF IT Park (Gurugram, Haryana)
2010: JLN Stadium (Delhi), The Imperial (Mumbai), Volkswagen (Pune)
 
According to industry experts who worked closely with Mistry, while the group was already a big player in the field of real estate and construction, under Mistry it spread its wings further - expanding beyond traditional construction to large engineering projects, including power plants and factories. It also grew overseas, taking up more projects in the regions like West Asia and Africa.
 
“Cyrus was really a visionary personality. News of his demise comes as a real shock. He was a construction tycoon and made monumental contributions to not only the real estate sector but also in the world of infrastructure development, commerce and industry,” Anuj Puri, Chairman of Anarock Group, told Business Today.
 
According to leading industrialist Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Group, Mistry “was instrumental in creating the global construction giant Shapoorji Pallonji and ably led the Tata group”. “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,” Goenka tweeted.

Dhruv Agarwala, Group CEO, Housing.com, PropTiger.com & Makaan.com told Business Today, “It’s a very sad day for the Indian industry. Mr Mistry was an outstanding leader and he will be missed. His firm, Shapoorji Pallonji, is a leader in the real estate sector and his untimely death will leave a big void. SP group’s biggest contribution to our sector is the ethical and value driven practices they bring. I sincerely hope that the firm’s flag continues to fly high even in Mr. Mistry’s absence,” he said.
 
After leading the Shapoorji Pallonji Group for nearly two decades, Mistry vacated the top post as he took up charge of the Deputy Chairman of the Tata Sons in 2011. He died in a tragic car accident  on Sunday at Palgarh near Mumbai.

Also read: Cyrus Mistry death: Who were in the car with the former Tata Sons chairman?  

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