BENGALURU: "Building a home is every man's dream. So our business is in selling dreams," Confident Group chairman C J Roy once remarked in an interview. This statement perfectly encapsulated his visionary approach and the expansive scope of a career that touched multiple industries including real estate development, cinema production, television sponsorships, sports backing, and luxury lifestyle ventures.
From Modest Beginnings to Real Estate Empire
Roy's ascent in the business world was both rapid and remarkable. Starting with managing accounts for his mother's small-scale property transactions, he eventually rose to become one of Bengaluru's most affluent developers. Growing up in central Bengaluru, he witnessed the city's transformation from a tranquil town characterized by lakes and paddy fields into India's premier technology hub.
After gaining professional experience at companies like BPL, TVS, and HP during the 1990s, Roy made a strategic shift into real estate. He placed his bets on the then-overlooked peripheral areas of Bengaluru. His most significant decision came in 2001 when he acquired approximately 200 acres along Sarjapur Road, which was at that time a quiet and undeveloped stretch, for about Rs 6 lakh per acre.
While many developers focused on established central business districts, Roy recognized the potential of the corridor connecting Whitefield and Electronic City. This calculated risk yielded substantial rewards as Sarjapur Road evolved into a major technology corridor, generating returns nearly ten times the initial investment.
Formalizing the Business and Expanding Horizons
Confident Group was officially established in 2005, marking the beginning of its expansion beyond Bengaluru. The group extended its operations to Kerala, Roy's home state, and later to Dubai. In Kerala, Confident Group emerged as a dominant real estate force, serving both luxury clientele and middle-income families in key cities such as Kochi, Thiruvananthapuram, Thrissur, Kozhikode, and Kottayam.
Venturing into Entertainment and Building Public Profile
Roy's public visibility increased significantly following his entry into the entertainment industry. In 2007, he captured headlines by gifting a Rs 1 crore apartment to the winner of a popular Asianet reality music show. The group continued this trend by sponsoring winner prizes for multiple seasons and recently announced a Rs 10 lakh reward for the winner of Bigg Boss Malayalam, thereby strengthening its presence in Kerala households.
Encouraged by success in television, Roy entered the film industry in 2012 with the Mohanlal-starring movie Casanovva. Over the subsequent decade, Confident Group financed more than 10 films in Malayalam and Kannada, including several high-budget productions.
Notable Film Projects and Global Sponsorships
In 2021, the group co-produced the historical epic Marakkar: Arabikadalinte Simham, featuring prominent actors like Mohanlal, Manju Warrier, Keerthy Suresh, Arjun Sarja, and Suniel Shetty. The film was released in multiple South Indian languages. Other notable projects included Mei Hoom Moosa (2022) starring Suresh Gopi, and Kannada films such as Rangappa Hogbitna, Krazy Loka, and Radhana Ganda.
The group also expanded into international sponsorships, supporting the West Indies cricket team during the 2013–14 season and the Sri Lankan team during the 2016 ICC World Cup. In 2022, it sponsored an international movie awards ceremony with editions held in Dubai, Singapore, and India.
Luxury Lifestyle and Philanthropic Endeavors
Beyond his business pursuits, Roy was renowned for his passion for luxury automobiles, with reports indicating his garage housed a collection of a dozen Rolls-Royces. He also enjoyed helicopter rides and golf. On social media platforms, where he amassed over 1.3 million followers, he presented a meticulously curated image of affluence and leisure, although he kept comments disabled.
Roy was actively involved in charitable activities, including initiatives to rebuild homes following Kerala's catastrophic floods in 2018.
Tragic Demise Amid Income Tax Investigations
This high-profile existence came to a sudden and tragic conclusion on Friday in Bengaluru. In what police have described as a suspected suicide, Roy was discovered shot dead at Confident Group's Langford Town office while Income Tax officials were conducting searches as part of an ongoing investigation.
According to police reports, Roy arrived at the office around 2 pm, two hours after the Income Tax team commenced their search. Although initially permitted to leave, he was later requested to remain to sign or review documents. At approximately 3 pm, Roy reportedly entered his cabin, stating he needed to retrieve another document. Shortly thereafter, he allegedly shot himself in the chest using a hand-held weapon.
He was immediately transported to Narayana Hospital, where medical professionals declared him dead upon arrival. Ballistics teams are currently examining the weapon, and police have not confirmed whether CCTV cameras were installed inside the cabin. A case of unnatural death has been registered based on a complaint filed by T A Joseph, founding director and managing director of Confident Group.
Roy's wife and two children, both in their early twenties, were in Dubai at the time and have yet to return. His mother resides in Koramangala, though associates mentioned Roy seldom stayed with her during his visits to Bengaluru. Income Tax officials from Kochi and Bengaluru had been conducting searches at the group's premises for three consecutive days prior to the incident.
Political Reactions and Investigation Developments
Roy's death sparked intense political responses in Karnataka. BJP state president B Y Vijayendra questioned the "hurried" establishment of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) by the Congress government, suggesting it was intended to conceal internal shortcomings. He even referred to it as a "Siddaramaiah Investigation Team."
These allegations were dismissed by law and parliamentary affairs minister H K Patil, who asserted that the SIT was formed to ensure transparency and promptly present facts to the public. Health minister Dinesh Gundu Rao also defended the decision, emphasizing that the investigation must consider whether central agencies were misused, drawing comparisons to concerns raised following entrepreneur V G Siddhartha's suicide.
Clarifying that Roy had no political affiliations, Gundu Rao stressed that the case should be examined impartially, beyond political considerations. The narrative of CJ Roy—from managing modest accounts to producing blockbuster films, from strategic land acquisitions in Sarjapur to high-profile sponsorships like Bigg Boss—concluded abruptly. Nevertheless, the legacy of his ambitions continues to leave a lasting impact across real estate, entertainment, and the collective public consciousness.
