Sanjay Shah, the founder and CEO of software company Vistex, died after a suspended stage platform failed during the company’s 25th-anniversary celebration in Hyderabad, India. Vistex President Vishwanath Raju Datla was also seriously injured and later died from his injuries.
Sanjay Shah, founder and CEO of software company Vistex, died after an aerial stage stunt went wrong at the company’s 25th-anniversary celebration in Hyderabad, India, on January 18, 2024. Shah and Vistex President Vishwanath Raju Datla were being lowered in an iron cage in front of employees when one of the supporting wires snapped. Both men fell more than 15 feet onto a concrete stage.
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The accident happened at Ramoji Film City during a two-day celebration for Vistex Asia-Pacific Private Ltd. Reports said the event’s opening presentation was designed to resemble a hot-air-balloon entrance. Shah and Datla were waving to the audience as the cage descended when it suddenly dropped.
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According to police accounts reported by The Indian Express and The Times of India, the executives were inside a metal platform suspended roughly 20 feet above the stage. One of the two wires supporting the platform broke during the descent, causing the cage to tilt and the men to fall.
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The accident occurred at approximately 7:30 p.m. or 7:40 p.m., according to early reports. The men were taken first to a nearby hospital and later transferred to a corporate hospital. Shah, 56, died from his injuries. Datla suffered severe injuries and was initially reported to be in critical condition.
Video of the incident circulated online, showing the two executives greeting the crowd immediately before the fall. Because the footage is distressing, readers should rely on established news reports rather than sharing graphic clips.
Police investigation and reported charges
Indian authorities opened an investigation into whether safety procedures, equipment, event management, or venue operations contributed to the accident. The Indian Express reported that police registered a case under provisions concerning death caused by negligence, endangering human life, and negligent conduct involving machinery.
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The early reports attributed the fall to a snapped wire, but that description did not by itself establish why the wire failed or whether required inspections and safeguards had been followed. A final legal conclusion would require the investigation and any subsequent court proceedings.
Who was Sanjay Shah?
Shah founded Vistex in 1999 after working at PricewaterhouseCoopers, General Motors, and SAP. The company develops software and services that help businesses manage pricing, incentives, royalties, rebates, and other revenue-related processes.
Vistex said in its official statement that Shah was its founder, CEO, and chief architect. The company described its operations as global and said it had expanded across multiple industries during his more than two decades of leadership.
Shah was also involved in philanthropy and education. Vistex said he founded the Vistex Foundation, which supports health, education, and basic-needs programs. He donated $5 million to Lehigh University to establish the Vistex Institute for Executive Learning and Research. The company also said Vistex Hospital opened in Bihar, India, in 2020.
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What happened to Vistex after Shah’s death?
Vistex announced on January 22, 2024, that Shah had died and that Datla remained hospitalized. On February 7, the company appointed Amos Biegun as interim CEO. Biegun had led Vistex’s Rights & Royalties business and served as the company’s managing director in the United Kingdom. He had also previously served as CEO of Counterpoint Systems before Vistex acquired it.
That appointment was an important continuity measure for employees, customers, suppliers, and other stakeholders. A sudden death can create uncertainty around signing authority, customer commitments, strategic decisions, and succession—especially when the deceased executive is also the company’s founder and chief architect. Installing an experienced internal leader can reduce that disruption while the company determines its longer-term structure.
Datla’s injuries were initially described as critical. A later report from Harper College recorded that Datla died in July 2024 from injuries sustained in the same accident.
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Vistex’s current leadership materials remember both Shah and Datla and identify Amos Biegun as CEO. The company also created the Sanjay Shah & Raju Datla Day of Giving, an employee-focused charitable initiative honoring their legacies.
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Why the incident drew wider attention
The accident attracted international attention because it combined a highly choreographed corporate celebration with a fatal equipment failure in front of a large audience. It also involved two senior executives at once, leaving a global software company without its founder and, initially, with its president critically injured.
For companies planning employee events, the incident is a reminder that entertainment elements involving height, lifting equipment, cables, cages, pyrotechnics, or moving platforms should be treated as safety-critical operations. Event organizers generally need qualified contractors, documented equipment inspections, a clear emergency plan, trained operators, and independent approval of the stunt—not just a visually impressive production.
For employees and customers, the practical questions after a leadership catastrophe are usually straightforward: Who has authority to make decisions? Will payroll and benefits continue normally? Are customer contracts and support operations still active? Has the company communicated a succession plan? Vistex’s appointment of an interim CEO provided a public answer to the immediate leadership question, while the accident investigation addressed the separate question of responsibility.
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Confirmed facts at a glance
| Question | What reporting confirms |
|---|---|
| Who died? | Sanjay Shah, Vistex’s founder and CEO, died after the fall. He was 56. |
| Where did it happen? | Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad, India. |
| When? | January 18, 2024, during Vistex’s 25th-anniversary celebration. |
| What caused the fall? | Early police accounts said one of the supporting wires snapped. The broader cause and responsibility were subject to investigation. |
| Who else was injured? | Vistex President Vishwanath Raju Datla, who later died in July 2024, according to a Harper College report. |
| Who led Vistex afterward? | Vistex appointed Amos Biegun as interim CEO on February 7, 2024. |
The headline refers to a 2024 incident, not a newly reported death. The tragedy occurred during a company celebration in India and was followed by a police investigation, a leadership transition at Vistex, and the later death of the company’s president from his injuries.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Sanjay Shah?
Sanjay Shah was the founder, CEO, and chief architect of Vistex, a software company focused on pricing, incentives, royalties, rebates, and revenue-management processes.
Where and when did the accident happen?
The accident occurred at Ramoji Film City in Hyderabad during Vistex’s 25th-anniversary celebration on January 18, 2024.
How did the accident happen?
Shah and Vistex President Vishwanath Raju Datla were being lowered in an iron cage when one of the supporting wires snapped. Both fell onto the concrete stage.
Who became Vistex CEO after Sanjay Shah died?
Vistex appointed Amos Biegun as interim CEO on February 7, 2024.
Did Raju Datla survive the accident?
Datla initially survived with severe injuries but later died in July 2024, according to a Harper College report.
The Bottom Line
Sanjay Shah died after a suspended stage platform failed during Vistex’s anniversary celebration in Hyderabad on January 18, 2024. The accident also critically injured President Raju Datla, who later died in July 2024; Vistex appointed Amos Biegun as interim CEO as the company dealt with the sudden loss of both senior leaders.
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