The CEO of an Illinois-based tech firm has died after falling to a concrete stage at a company event in India.
Sanjay Shah, CEO of software company Vistex, and Vishwanath Raju Datla, president of the company, were being lowered to the stage in an iron cage, which was meant to recreate the appearance of the hot air balloon basket when a cable seemingly snapped and the two fell 15-20 feet to the ground.
Shah died of his injuries. Raju Datla was in critical condition until late Saturday, The Times of India reported.
The incident was captured on video.
The night was supposed to be a celebration for Vistex, which was marking its 25th anniversary. Shah founded the multinational company in 1999. Nearly 700 people were in the audience.
Police in India are investigating whether the venue that hosted the event, Ramoji Film City studios in Hyderabad, was negligent when it came to the accident. A complaint from Vistex reportedly said it took nearly 20 minutes for event organizers to arrange an ambulance to transport the injured to the hospital. Raju Datla was taken in a private car.
Shah, 56, created a company that now has 20 offices around the world, with more than 2,000 employees. Vistex specializes in revenue management software offerings.
Tributes for Shah poured in on LinkedIn.
“Sanjay was a mentor, pushing you to your limit (and even sometimes a bit beyond), and it made each of his employees stronger,” wrote Beth Schweibinz, who worked at Vistex for over 14 years. “I would not be where I am today without his support and guidance and I know this is true for so many current and former Vistex employees. … It isn’t his brilliant mind that I will remember most though, it was his infectious laughter. At company events, I could often hear him laugh across the room and I couldn’t help but smile.”
