Allow me to add to the obituary on Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry (pictured) ("Gracious and generous,” In Memoriam, Parsiana, July 21-August 6, 2022). Not only did the Muscat Palace serve as a launching pad for Shapoorji Pallonji and Company (SP) but the air-
conditioning contract with Voltas placed personally by Pallonji served as a take-off point for the company’s operations in the Gulf states.
I was a young executive in Voltas, in charge of the new international operations division which had just commenced. The confidence exhibited by Pallonji in our ability to execute to perfection and in time and budget was unique, especially as Voltas had no experience of central air conditioning installations of great complexity and precision.
Today, at 85 years, I serve on the board of AFCONS, an SP Group company renowned for its timely execution of complex infrastructure projects in India and Africa.
What a wonderful tribute to Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry ("Gracious and generous,” In Memoriam, Parsiana, July 21-August 6, 2022)! One cannot help but feel that the era of greatness that his life encompasses has passed, as also the graciousness with which he surrounded himself in his actions.
As described by Homa Petit, president of The B. D. Petit Parsee General Hospital where Mistry had made the donations that led to the building of the Pallonji Shapoorji Home for Senior Citizens, after taking a decision as chariman at a meeting, he would turn to Petit and ask in Gujarati "barabar chhè ni (isn’t it correct)?” That simple question reveals the essence of his Zoroastrian inheritance — the reminder for each individual to right thinking in words and action. .