Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry: Man ‘who built half of Mumbai’ passes away – Times of India

MUMBAI: Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, the India-born Irish business tycoon who was the country’s oldest billionaire, passed away at 93 in his sleep at his south Mumbai residence on Tuesday.
Pallonji, the chairman of Shapoorji Pallonji (SP) Group which runs a sprawling construction business dating back over 150 years, was also the single-largest shareholder (18.4%) of Tata Sons, the main investment entity of the $103-billion Tata Group. A low-profile philanthropist, he was awarded the coveted Padma Bhushan award in 2016 for contributions to Indian industry. He is survived by his wife Patsy, daughters Laila Rustom Jehangir & Aloo Noel Tata, sons Shapoor Mistry & Cyrus Mistry, and their families.

Established in 1865, SP is known for iconic constructions like the Reserve Bank of India in Mumbai, the Presidential office in Ghana and the Palace of HM Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said in Muscat. In fact, when the Muscat palace was opened for visitors in 1975, it was a significant stepping stone for both SP and India. SP not only became the first Indian construction company to have completed a project abroad, but it also opened doors for other Indian construction players. The Muscat palace provided a launching pad for SP to consolidate its presence in the Middle East and foray into Africa, where it executed landmark projects such as the National Assembly of Gambia and the Ebene IT Park in Mauritius.
“Pallonji Mistry inherited a fortune from his father, which he multiplied manifold. He took SP beyond the shores of India to the Middle East, especially Muscat in Oman. He will be remembered as the man who not only built half of Bombay but also most of Muscat, including the Sultan’s palace,” said eminent lawyer and father-in-law of Cyrus Mistry, Iqbal Chagla.
Pallonji, born on June 1, 1929, completed his schooling and college education in Bombay (as it was then called) before joining the family business in 1947 at the age of 18, under the supervision of his father, Shapoorji Pallonji Mistry. He took over the reins of SP in 1975, after his father passed away. Pallonji expanded his empire by acquiring strategic stakes in other companies such as Sterling & Wilson, United Motors, Forbes Gokak and Afcons Infrastructure. He also served on the boards of Union Bank of India, W H Brady, The Associated Cement Companies (ACC), of which he was also chairman for several years, and Tata Sons.
Pallonji was known as the ‘phantom of Bombay House’ for his inconspicuous but powerful presence at the Tata Group headquarters. He guarded his privacy zealously and was reluctant to give media interviews. A deeply religious and family man, friends and kin described Pallonji to be gracious, humble and charitable. Prominent cardiologist Dr Farokh E Udwadia, who knew Pallonji Mistry for 50 years as a friend and patient, said his demeanour was always self-effacing and gracious. “His life centred around his family, he shunned social life and was very charitable.”
In 2006, along with his wife, Pallonji funded and set up a home for senior citizens of The B D Petit Parsee General Hospital, Mumbai. Pallonji gave up his Indian nationality and became an Irish citizen in 2003 through his long marriage to his Dublin-born wife. In 2012, Pallonji stepped down as the head of SP and handed over the chairmanship to his elder son Shapoor Mistry.