Latest news with #AutomotiveComponentManufacturersAssociationofIndia
Irish Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Daily Mirror
Billionaire pal of Prince William dies after swallowing bee during game of polo
A polo-playing pal of Prince William has died after reportedly swallowing a bee mid-match, triggering a fatal heart attack. Sunjay Kapur, 53, a well-known Indian billionaire and chairman of global car parts giant Sona Comstar, collapsed while playing polo in England on Thursday. Hours before his death, the British-educated businessman had paid a moving tribute to those killed in the Air India tragedy. In his final post, he wrote: "Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour.' Before his death, Kapur was well known for his love of polo and his high-profile marriages. He was once married to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor, however the marriage ended in acrimony. She later filed a domestic violence plea, stating he once went off to play polo while their son was very ill. Kapoor said: '(Sunjay) decided to carry on, leaving me behind to take care of our sick four-month-old son, just to play a Polo match with Prince William. I also realised that he had married me only because I was a famous and successful film star, which would facilitate him to be reported in the press. It came as a surprise that he always wanted to be known in public and be famous, but since he never did any deed worth mentioning, he was not able to garner any attention.' While playing polo, it is understood the bee stung Kapur in his mouth, potentially triggering anaphylactic shock that caused his heart to stop. Medical experts say internal stings can be deadly, especially if the person has an undiagnosed allergy. A sting to the throat or airway can cause swelling, airway blockage, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and cardiac arrest. The exact cause of death is still being investigated, but early reports suggest it may have triggered a massive allergic reaction, leading to his sudden collapse. The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through both Britain's polo circles and India's high society. A regular on the royal polo circuit, Kapur was known to be friendly with the royals and other members of the aristocratic polo set. He often played in exclusive matches held across the UK during the summer season. "He was full of life, laughing, joking, then gone in an instant," said one insider. Born into business royalty, he was the driving force behind Sona Comstar, a global automotive technology firm with operations spanning India, the US, Serbia, Mexico and China. Under his leadership, the company became a key supplier to the booming electric vehicle sector. He served not only as chairman of Sona Comstar but also held top industry positions, including President of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Co-Chair of the Confederation of Indian Industry's Manufacturing Council. Educated at The Doon School, India's answer to Eton, Kapur later studied business at the University of Buckingham, before completing a prestigious executive programme at Harvard Business School. Despite his business success, he was no stranger to the celebrity spotlight. As well as being married to Kapoor, with whom he had two children, he also married Priya Sachdev, a former model and fashion entrepreneur. As news of his death spread, tributes poured in from across the business world. In a statement, Sona Comstar said: 'We are deeply saddened by the sudden demise of our Chairman, Mr Sunjay Kapur. He was a visionary leader whose passion, insight and dedication shaped the identity and success of our company.'
Daily Mirror
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Prince William's billionaire pal dies after swallowing bee while playing polo
Prince William's polo-playing pal Sunjay Kapur, a well-known Indian billionaire and chairman of global car parts giant Sona Comstar, collapsed while playing a match in the UK A polo-playing pal of Prince William has died after reportedly swallowing a bee mid-match, triggering a fatal heart attack. Sunjay Kapur, 53, a well-known Indian billionaire and chairman of global car parts giant Sona Comstar, collapsed while playing polo in England on Thursday. Hours before his death, the British-educated businessman had paid a moving tribute to those killed in the Air India tragedy. In his final post, he wrote: "Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour.' Before his death, Kapur was well known for his love of polo and his high-profile marriages. He was once married to Bollywood star Karisma Kapoor, however the marriage ended in acrimony. She later filed a domestic violence plea, stating he once went off to play polo while their son was very ill. Kapoor said: '(Sunjay) decided to carry on, leaving me behind to take care of our sick four-month-old son, just to play a Polo match with Prince William. I also realised that he had married me only because I was a famous and successful film star, which would facilitate him to be reported in the press. It came as a surprise that he always wanted to be known in public and be famous, but since he never did any deed worth mentioning, he was not able to garner any attention.' While playing polo, it is understood the bee stung Kapur in his mouth, potentially triggering anaphylactic shock that caused his heart to stop. Medical experts say internal stings can be deadly, especially if the person has an undiagnosed allergy. A sting to the throat or airway can cause swelling, airway blockage, a sudden drop in blood pressure, and cardiac arrest. The exact cause of death is still being investigated, but early reports suggest it may have triggered a massive allergic reaction, leading to his sudden collapse. The tragic incident has sent shockwaves through both Britain's polo circles and India's high society. A regular on the royal polo circuit, Kapur was known to be friendly with the royals and other members of the aristocratic polo set. He often played in exclusive matches held across the UK during the summer season. "He was full of life, laughing, joking, then gone in an instant," said one insider. Born into business royalty, he was the driving force behind Sona Comstar, a global automotive technology firm with operations spanning India, the US, Serbia, Mexico and China. Under his leadership, the company became a key supplier to the booming electric vehicle sector. He served not only as chairman of Sona Comstar but also held top industry positions, including President of the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and Co-Chair of the Confederation of Indian Industry's Manufacturing Council. Educated at The Doon School, India's answer to Eton, Kapur later studied business at the University of Buckingham, before completing a prestigious executive programme at Harvard Business School. Despite his business success, he was no stranger to the celebrity spotlight. As well as being married to Kapoor, with whom he had two children, he also married Priya Sachdev, a former model and fashion entrepreneur. As news of his death spread, tributes poured in from across the business world. In a statement, Sona Comstar said: 'We are deeply saddened by the sudden demise of our Chairman, Mr Sunjay Kapur. He was a visionary leader whose passion, insight and dedication shaped the identity and success of our company.' Industry colleagues also praised his commitment to innovation and manufacturing excellence. One former associate called him 'a titan of Indian industry, taken far too soon.' A source close to the Kapur family said: 'Sunjay was in excellent health. No one could believe what had happened. It's a shocking reminder of how fragile life can be.'
Mint
19-05-2025
- Automotive
- Mint
Automakers rush to PMO, commerce ministry as Chinese magnet crisis set to spread beyond EVs, threatens production cuts
New Delhi/Mumbai: India's top automotive companies have knocked on the doors of the commerce ministry over concerns that disruptions in the supply of rare earth magnets from China could potentially bring their production lines to a stop. Representatives from the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and the Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) are set to meet officials at the commerce ministry on Monday afternoon to express their grievances, three industry executives aware of the matter said. The representative had approached the Prime Minister's Office on Friday, two of the executives said, asking not to be identified because they are not authorised to speak to the media. China controls almost the entire global supply of rare earth magnets that are essential for making compact, powerful and efficient electric motors. Suppliers from the country started throttling the supply of these magnets as a trade war raged between China and the US – the world's two largest economies. While the impact was initially expected to be on the electric vehicle market, it now emerges that the crisis could spread to the entire automotive industry and beyond. Rare earth magnets are used in permanent magnet motors that are employed for applications like air-conditioning motors and starter motors for conventional cars, for drones and even for high-end ceiling fans. 'Headlines talk about EVs getting impacted, but in fact any part that needs a motor is under this threat. Hence the entire ICE (internal combustion engine) portfolio is also under stress," one of the executives said, adding that if no solution is reached, the crisis could potentially hurt production volumes. 'Frankly, there is no solution unless the Government of India intervenes with China at a political or administrative level and strikes a deal. They need to… get some relaxations for the industry like how the US and UK got relaxations," the executive said. Licence to export China has not completely stopped the supply of these magnets. However, as per a new policy set by the Chinese Communist Party, all exports of rare-earth magnets from the country need a licence from the government. The licence is granted only after the importer of the magnets supplies an array of documents including photographs of the product where the magnet will be used, an undertaking that the importer will not trade the magnets further and that it will not be used for any military application. An endorsement by the government of the importing nation is also required. Getting a licence takes 45 days and it is valid for six months. 'The new customs policy effectively requires controlled management of all rare earth-containing magnets. Therefore, we need to apply for an export licence for magnets. This applies even to samples," one Chinese vendor wrote in an email to an Indian motor manufacturer. 'This is the only solution for exporting magnet [sic] in China," the Chinese vendor wrote. Mint has seen a copy of this email. An alternative is to buy motors directly from China instead of importing the magnets, industry executives said. "Chinese suppliers want us Indian players to take the motors directly and not the magnets. But we cannot do this because it will hurt the entire localisation bid of the government and auto players," said a fourth person, a senior executive at an auto component making company. Queries emailed to the PMO, the commerce ministry, SIAM and ACMA on Monday morning did not immediately elicit a response.
