Zoho Corporation CEO Sridhar Vembu has expressed concern over the tragic death of 28-year-old Tamil Nadu tourist Jayesh Ram in a paragliding accident in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh. In a heartfelt message, Vembu, who was close to Jayesh’s family, called for stronger regulatory oversight in adventure tourism.
“Yesterday, I had the very sad duty to attend the funeral of Jayesh Ram, the 27-year-old son of my dear friend Cibi Anand and Priya. Way too many accidents happen with sickening regulatory there, and I am deeply saddened Jayesh became the latest statistic. Much stronger regulatory oversight is required here,” Vembu wrote.
The accident occurred at the Gadsa paragliding site on Friday, where the tandem paraglider Jayesh was on collided with another glider mid-air. The pilot, Ashwani Kumar, sustained severe injuries. Preliminary investigations revealed that the pilot attempted a 360-degree maneuver, leading to the collision. Eyewitnesses reported that the damaged paraglider collapsed mid-air, causing a fatal fall.
Jayesh was a rising entrepreneur and the founder of Tools Hub, a hardware retail franchise. The venture, backed by Zoho, was inspired by a suggestion from Abdul Gafoor, a long-time Zoho customer and close associate of Jayesh’s father. Vembu described Jayesh as “a dashing young man, very kind to his employees and all those around him.”
Reflecting on the risks involved, Vembu remarked, “I am a risk-taker, but even at his age, I would do a risk analysis and would have declined paragliding in Kullu as too accident-prone. I hope young people, particularly young men, avoid bad risks like this.”
Paragliding accidents have become alarmingly frequent in Himachal, with at least seven fatalities reported in the past 18 months. The Gadsa paragliding site, where the accident occurred, had been temporarily banned in January 2023 due to safety violations but was reopened a month later. In another tragic incident on Saturday, a Gujarat tourist, Bhavsar Khushi, died during a tandem flight at the Indrunag site near Dharamshala.
Urging authorities to address these recurring tragedies, Vembu concluded, “I hope his death does not go in vain and regulators take a good look at this.”
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