New Delhi New Delhi: Amid the tragic death of a 27-year-old entrepreneur from Tamil Nadu, Zoho CEO Sridhar Vembu has urged for strict safety rules in adventure sports. Jayesh Ram, son of one of Mr Vembu's close friends, died in a paragliding accident in Kullu, Manali on Friday. Mr Vembu, who attended the funeral, expressed his grief in a post on Too many accidents happen, and I'm very sad that Jayesh has become the latest statistic.” He stressed the need for “very strong regulatory oversight” in the sector.
Tamil Nadu man dies, pilot injured in mid-air paragliding collision
The tragic death of Jayesh Ram, a resident of Vigneshwar Nagar in Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, occurred during a tandem paragliding flight when his paraglider collided with another paraglider in mid-air. The impact caused the paraglider to collapse, causing a fatal fall. Mr Ram was declared dead on arrival at the hospital, while pilot Ashwini Kumar suffered serious injuries and was referred to PGIMER, Chandigarh for further treatment.
Sri Ram, founder of Tools Hub, a fast-growing hardware retail franchise backed by Zoho, was fondly remembered by Mr Vembu. Describing him as “a dynamic young man, very kind to his employees and everyone around him”, Mr Vembu said Mr Ram had a bright future ahead of him.
Sri Vembu reflected on the adventurous nature of Sri Ram and described him as a risk taker. He wrote, “I am also like that, but even at his age, I would have analyzed the risks and avoided paragliding in Kullu, where there is a risk of accidents.” The 57-year-old also advised youngsters to stay away from “such unnecessary risks”.
Initial investigation revealed that the pilot attempted a 360 degree manoeuvre, which led to the collision. While the other glider managed to stabilize, Shri Ram's glider fell, resulting in a fatal fall. “The victim's family has been informed,” Kullu sub-divisional magistrate Vikas Shukla said in a statement. A magisterial inquiry into the incident has been ordered. Sridhar Vembu called for stricter regulations, saying, “I hope his death will bring about meaningful change.” Seven paragliders, including foreigners, have lost their lives in Himachal Pradesh in the last 18 months. Paragliding was banned in Gadsa in January 2023 due to safety concerns, but operations resumed a month later.
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