Paresh Shah, a former main dealer for two-wheeler majors Honda and Yamaha died in Mumbai on Friday, a day after his 73rd birthday. Shah, also a qualified engineer, had entered the automotive retail business in the 1980s by taking up a dealership for Yamaha, Jhaveri Auto Center, in Mumbai. This was the time when Japanese majors Honda, Yanmaha and Suzuki entered India through joint ventures. Popular as ‘Paresh bhai’ among those around him, Shah was a well-liked person.

Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director of Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India, who had known Shah for more than 25 years, said: “Till his last breath, Paresh bhai always had the interest of stakeholders in the industry. The fraternity of two-wheeler merchants has lost its Bhishma Pitamah! Guleria also said Shah “acted as a bridge between dealers and OEMs to discuss key issues and come to an understanding for a win-win situation.”

Shah, originally from Ahmedabad, has successfully established himself as an entrepreneur in Mumbai. He was also a sensible person who said what he thought. “He candidly advocated healthy debates and believed in corporate sustainability, for future generations,” Guleria said.

Shah was also the State Manager (Two-Wheelers) for the Maharashtra unit of the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA) of the auto retail industry body. Calling his passing a “big loss”, FADA President Vinkesh Gulati said: “He was a business leader and a noble soul who also had an incredible command of the two-wheeler business. His respect among two-wheeler dealers was immense as they followed the instructions he gave them.” Gulati added that FADA “benefited a lot” from Shah’s leadership in the state unit as he “played a pivotal role in some “revolutionary changes in state laws related to Maharashtra’s automobile industry”.

On a few occasions, Shah had expressed concerns to the author about certain parties allegedly with not-so-clean backgrounds entering the auto retail industry, and engaging in malpractice. and to make the game difficult for those who play by the rules. He had good technical knowledge and business acumen.

Over the years, Shah has looked after his children, a daughter and a son, as well as a nephew, who now run the sales and service operations of Jhaveri Honda dealership at several locations in Mumbai.

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