Sanjay Shah, CEO of Vistex Asia, a US-based software company, died following a horrific accident during the company's 25th anniversary celebrations on Friday, January 19. The event was held at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India.
Trigger Warning: This article contains sensitive video. Viewer discretion is advised.
Shah, 56, along with company president Vishwanath Raj Datla, were lifted onto a wooden platform about 20 feet above the ground using a crane. The stage had a two-ply 6mm iron wire holding it on both sides. The stage was supposed to be lowered at a slow pace as the performance progressed. However, to everyone's dismay, one side of the wire snapped, causing the stage to instantly fall.
Both Shah and Datla were seriously injured and were initially taken to Maxi-Cure Hospital. They were later shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Malakpet. Unfortunately, Shah died during treatment on Friday morning, while Datla remains in critical condition according to police.
According to Newstrap, a two-day event was organized to celebrate the silver jubilee of Vistex Asia. Sanjay Shah, currently residing in Illinois, has arranged accommodation at Ramoji Film City for his employees to attend the grand event on January 18-19. 700 people attended the ceremony on Thursday during the air show that led to Shah's death.
The Internet was shocked when Sanjay Shah, CEO of Vistex, died after falling from a high platform
Shah originally hails from Mumbai, India. He earned his MBA and degree from Lehigh University in 1989, at the age of 21. Before founding Vistex, he worked at General Motors and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), then Shah moved to Germany and worked at software company SAP. After leaving SAP, he built his own company, Vistex.
Sanjay Shah's tragic death has left the internet distraught. Video footage of the incident was circulated on the Internet, sparking many critical reactions from Internet users. Many criticized the company's risky celebration method. They said Vistex could have instead invested the money in rewarding its employees rather than spending it on arranging one of these death machines.
Although the accident occurred due to a broken wire, authorities launched an investigation into the faulty wooden platform and other equipment that was being used.
VESTEX Asia was established in 1999
Sanjay Shah founded Vestex Asia, a technology company that deals with revenue management services and solutions in 1999. He also established Vestex Institute for Executive Education at Lehigh University and Vestex Foundation.
Vishwanath Raj Datla joined the company in 2000 and has since played an integral role in shaping the company and expanding its solutions delivery capabilities. Vistex has 20 branch offices globally and more than 20,000 employees. It serves leading brands such as Walmart, Apple, Barilla, Bayer, and GM.
