On receiving Oxford’s highest honor, being made a Foundation Fellow through Somerville College on March 7, 2025, businessman Mehli Mistry joins a select band. He is only the 11th person to be so appointed in the past 145 years.
"I am the only Parsi to be a Foundation Fellow, and it makes me happy,” he told Parsiana. The hierarchy begins at the student level, moves on to mentor/tutor, Honorary Doctorate Fellow, Emeritus Fellow, Honorary Fellow and finally Foundation Fellow, he graciously explained, adding that he has been closely associated with Oxford for a decade and is well known to Somerville College’s principal Baroness Jan Royall and administrator Sara Kalim.
Mehli Mistry receiving the citation from Baroness Jan Royall,
on becoming Foundation Fellow
In a profile of the honoree the College describes him as "a noted philanthropist… (with) rich experience of running and managing the M. Pallonji Group companies, with diverse business interests that include industrial painting, dredging, marine transport, shipping and insurance… (He) sits on the boards of multiple trusts. His philanthropic work includes an unswerving focus on girls’ education as well as helping to manage India’s largest philanthropic Trust, of which he is a permanent trustee… He is a champion of the arts… a trustee of the National Centre for the Performing Arts.”
The profile notes: "Somerville College is grateful to have enjoyed a long and meaningful friendship with Mr Mistry, a man of rare integrity whose vision for the Oxford India Centre for Sustainable Development chimes with our own. In recognition of these many years of friendship, Somerville College was pleased to extend a Foundation Fellowship to Mr Mistry in 2025.” Sherene Vakil