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Chairman and managing director of Bombay Samachar Private Limited, Hormusji Cama who received the Padma Bhushan at the hands of President Droupadi Murmu at Rashtrapati Bhawan in Delhi on May 9, 2024 was all praise for the administrative arrangements prior to the presentation of the award. Cama stated the investiture ceremony was conducted with "extreme niceness… There was no intrusive security…no pat-downs… The drill on the previous day was rigorous.” All 62 or 63 awardees had to go through a rehearsal of how to stand up from their seated position, how to walk and how to greet Murmu.

The only Parsi to win a Padma Bhushan this year, Cama is not sanguine about the long-term future of print media. While he is pleased about the online presence of the 202-year-old Mumbai Samachar (MS), Cama stated that distribution of the physical newspaper is a challenge. The new generation of vendors prefers secure jobs, and not having to wake up at 4 a.m. to deliver the papers. "There is a certain laziness that has crept in,” he added. He believes, though, there is a good future for vernacular newspapers. "Circulation in tier-2 and tier-3 cities is increasing… English newspapers do well in urban areas only.” When Parsiana had interviewed Cama during the 200th anniversary celebrations of MS, he had predicted, "You will soon find printed newspapers in museums… I do not see the print version of Samachar going into its 300th year,” (see "Digitally we will survive,” Parsiana, August 21-September 6, 2021).

Cama bemoaned the shrinking volumes of the print edition of MS. Maharashtra, the main market for MS, did not permit circulation during the blackest Covid months. Having suffered a 50% drop in circulation during that period, the managing director is proud to convey that today it is up to 80% of the pre-Covid number despite a relaunch at a higher price — from eight rupees to Rs 10. The Bombay-Gujarat region continues to be the prime area of circulation. The paper has a web version and posts highlights on most social media platforms. 

Parsiana met Cama at his red brick press-cum-office building from where the family has published MS since 1933. Outside the imposing building are often seen Cama’s road beauties. A keen lover of vintage cars, he frequently participates in classic car rallies and shows (see "Mission Mercedes,” Sports, Parsiana, January 7-20, 2022).  

Associated with many national bodies, Cama has chaired the Press Trust of India (see "Cama PTI chairman,” Parsiana, October 7, 2015), Indian Newspaper Society, Audit Bureau of Circulations (see "Circulation chief,” Events and Personalities, Parsiana, November 21, 2018), Media Research Users Council, Readership Studies Council of India, Commonwealth Press Union India Chapter, and has been a nominated member of the Press Council of India for nine years. "But that is all in the past,” he stated, dismissing requests to talk about the highlights of his stints there. 

Known to have a good working equation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Cama recounted the PM’s vision for the country a decade ago. When it was mandated that tender notices be moved to online media, a participant at a meeting said that it would not work for rural areas. Modi reportedly responded "you are ill-informed,” and unveiled his long-term plan to have WiFi, and therefore social interaction, at all railway stations in the country. Modi is a workaholic and has a way with young people, Cama appreciated. 

Cama believes that entrepreneurship is dead in the community. "Where is the risk-taking Parsi? Everyone is content in the baugs… No spunk left… The boys must be pushed to be risk takers… Mothers need to let go.” Queried about his views on the community, he replied, "We will be a tribe soon… or extinct…or nearly there,” harping on the declining numbers. "I feel sad the community no longer has the desire to excel… Where are the Parsis in the armed forces?” 

Parsiana asked Cama whether some time in the future MS will reinstate the once-popular column Parsi Tari Arsi. "I am happy to start a column provided I get an unbiased editor/columnist for it,” he stated, emphasizing the adjective. "I don’t like to wash dirty linen in public… I want a columnist who is not only into Bombay Parsi Punchayet bashing… My grandfather Muncherji, the family patriarch, always said that criticism has to be constructive.”