Search intensifies for missing Indian coffee tycoon

A massive search is underway to locate the owner of the Cafe Coffee Day retail chain in India.

VG Siddhartha was last seen on a river bridge in the southern city of Mangaluru on Monday evening.

The 58-year-old businessman had stepped out of his car to take a stroll but his driver raised the alarm when he failed to return and didn’t answer phone calls.

Police have stepped up search operations, while the Indian coast guard has deployed a ship to look for him.

Meanwhile, a letter that Siddhartha reportedly wrote to his employees recently is now doing the rounds on social media.

The letter indicates that he was facing ‘tremendous pressure’ from lenders and also from a private equity partner and a senior income tax officer.

The Cafe Coffee Day franchise is India's largest coffee chain with about 1,750 outlets across the country.