” alt=”news image”/>
It seems like an era has ended with the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, the former chairman of Bajaj Auto. He was one of the very few corporate and business community leaders who understood the importance of timelines for a reporter and many of my stories as an automobile journalist were based on what he did, the developments around his companies or how the competitors reacted to his moves.
My last interaction with Rahul Bajaj was at the annual convention of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where he was a regular attendee.
While turning up for the interview in a Tesla, he couldn’t stop marvelling at the value that the Tesla brand commanded, while at the same time he alone had contributed a lot to the success of ‘Make In India’ through the success of his own automobile company Bajaj Auto.
Rahul Bajaj stepped down in May 2021 after being steering Bajaj Auto’s for 49 years in both executive and non-executive roles.
He commandeered the respect of the business community, employees, suppliers and even his competitors.
‘Hamara Bajaj’: Building a homegrown brand
Very few brands in Indian consumers’ minds have so much resonance and recall as Bajaj has.
Bajaj and its Chetak scooter was a household name in the pre-liberalisation era and the Chetak’s success was repeated by the Pulsar motorcycle in a post in the post-liberalisation period.
Son of late Indian industrialist Jamnalal Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj will always be remembered for his contribution to ‘Make In India’ and creating a reputation for India made goods, especially automobiles.
Also read | Industrialist Rahul Bajaj, former chairman of Bajaj Group, passes away
The doyen of the Indian automobile industry, Bajaj Auto’s former chairman Rahul Bajaj is no longer alive but his contribution to the Indian corporate sector will always be remembered.
Pre-liberalisation to Post-liberalisation era
Unable to reinvent themselves, while many Indian companies perished when the Indian economy was liberalised in the 1990s, Bajaj Auto was known for reinventing itself from a scooter dominated company to bike dominated company.
Rahul Bajaj’s contribution was immense in reinventing Bajaj Auto from a scooter maker to a predominantly motorcycle company and succeeding and competing with the Japanese brands including Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, using the business acumen of an Indian Marwari business community leader.
Chetak’s success was seen in India’s infamous License Raj and Quota system in which companies couldn’t produce more than what was allotted to them and subsequently Bajaj Auto’s Chetak was known for years’ long waiting period.
Later on in the 1990s, Rahul Bajaj quickly adapted to the demands of an opening economy.
Ability to take risks and avoid risks
With the foresight of a true business leader, Rahul Bajaj was known to take decisions over which risks to be taken and which to be avoided.
Just after the launch of the Tata Motors Nano car project in 2008, Bajaj Group was also ready to take a plunge in the car market with its Ultra Low-Cost car (ULC) project with Japanese auto major Nissan, but Rahul Bajaj’s opposition to the project was one of the reasons the project couldn’t take off and group avoided entering into a segment where demand was not there.
Subsequently, unable to capture expected demand, Tata Nano’s production has also been stopped now.
Bold and fearless
Rahul Bajaj was known for speaking the truth to power and not shying away from expressing his disagreements in public, even if it was with his son Rajiv Bajaj, the current MD and CEO of Bajaj Auto.
The latest disagreement was the one Rahul Bajaj had with the government on the coronavirus induced lockdowns.
Rahul Bajaj said the lockdowns destroy businesses, jobs and the economy without necessarily controlling the spread of the disease.
It was rare to find any businessman or industrialist of such a repute disagreeing with the establishment in public and voicing his opinion.
Loved and respected by competitors and contemporaries
On the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, the chairman & CEO of Hero MotoCorp Dr Pawan Munjal said, “Shri Bajaj inspired generations of young people in the country to become entrepreneurs and contribute towards wealth generation. My father Shri Brijmohan Lall and Rahul Bajaj were very close friends and they had an immense mutual admiration for each other. With his demise, the country has lost a stalwart and I feel a personal loss.”
Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company has also expressed his condolences saying, “Rahul Bajaj strode across the Indian industrial landscape like a colossus. He was among the few stars who created the Indian automotive industry. He was a pioneer who established a culture of quality and technology.”
Rahul Bajaj
– Appointed CEO of Bajaj Auto in 1968
– Served as CII President from 1979 to 1980
– Awarded Padma Bhushan in 2001
– Handed over executive role to Rajiv Bajaj in 2005
– Got elected to Rajya Sabha from 2006-2010
– Stepped down as non-executive chairman in 2021
It seems like an era has ended with the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, the former chairman of Bajaj Auto. He was one of the very few corporate and business community leaders who understood the importance of timelines for a reporter and many of my stories as an automobile journalist were based on what he did, the developments around his companies or how the competitors reacted to his moves. My last interaction with Rahul Bajaj was at the annual convention of the World Economic Forum in the Swiss ski resort of Davos, where he was a regular attendee. While turning up for the interview in a Tesla, he couldn’t stop marvelling at the value that the Tesla brand commanded, while at the same time he alone had contributed a lot to the success of ‘Make In India’ through the success of his own automobile company Bajaj Auto. Rahul Bajaj stepped down in May 2021 after being steering Bajaj Auto’s for 49 years in both executive and non-executive roles. He commandeered the respect of the business community, employees, suppliers and even his competitors. ‘Hamara Bajaj’: Building a homegrown brand Very few brands in Indian consumers’ minds have so much resonance and recall as Bajaj has. Bajaj and its Chetak scooter was a household name in the pre-liberalisation era and the Chetak’s success was repeated by the Pulsar motorcycle in a post in the post-liberalisation period. Son of late Indian industrialist Jamnalal Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj will always be remembered for his contribution to ‘Make In India’ and creating a reputation for India made goods, especially automobiles. Also read | Industrialist Rahul Bajaj, former chairman of Bajaj Group, passes away The doyen of the Indian automobile industry, Bajaj Auto’s former chairman Rahul Bajaj is no longer alive but his contribution to the Indian corporate sector will always be remembered. Pre-liberalisation to Post-liberalisation era Unable to reinvent themselves, while many Indian companies perished when the Indian economy was liberalised in the 1990s, Bajaj Auto was known for reinventing itself from a scooter dominated company to bike dominated company. Rahul Bajaj’s contribution was immense in reinventing Bajaj Auto from a scooter maker to a predominantly motorcycle company and succeeding and competing with the Japanese brands including Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, using the business acumen of an Indian Marwari business community leader. Chetak’s success was seen in India’s infamous License Raj and Quota system in which companies couldn’t produce more than what was allotted to them and subsequently Bajaj Auto’s Chetak was known for years’ long waiting period. Later on in the 1990s, Rahul Bajaj quickly adapted to the demands of an opening economy. Ability to take risks and avoid risks With the foresight of a true business leader, Rahul Bajaj was known to take decisions over which risks to be taken and which to be avoided. Just after the launch of the Tata Motors Nano car project in 2008, Bajaj Group was also ready to take a plunge in the car market with its Ultra Low-Cost car (ULC) project with Japanese auto major Nissan, but Rahul Bajaj’s opposition to the project was one of the reasons the project couldn’t take off and group avoided entering into a segment where demand was not there. Subsequently, unable to capture expected demand, Tata Nano’s production has also been stopped now. Bold and fearless Rahul Bajaj was known for speaking the truth to power and not shying away from expressing his disagreements in public, even if it was with his son Rajiv Bajaj, the current MD and CEO of Bajaj Auto. The latest disagreement was the one Rahul Bajaj had with the government on the coronavirus induced lockdowns. Rahul Bajaj said the lockdowns destroy businesses, jobs and the economy without necessarily controlling the spread of the disease. It was rare to find any businessman or industrialist of such a repute disagreeing with the establishment in public and voicing his opinion. Loved and respected by competitors and contemporaries On the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, the chairman & CEO of Hero MotoCorp Dr Pawan Munjal said, “Shri Bajaj inspired generations of young people in the country to become entrepreneurs and contribute towards wealth generation. My father Shri Brijmohan Lall and Rahul Bajaj were very close friends and they had an immense mutual admiration for each other. With his demise, the country has lost a stalwart and I feel a personal loss.” Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company has also expressed his condolences saying, “Rahul Bajaj strode across the Indian industrial landscape like a colossus. He was among the few stars who created the Indian automotive industry. He was a pioneer who established a culture of quality and technology.” Rahul Bajaj – Appointed CEO of Bajaj Auto in 1968 – Served as CII President from 1979 to 1980 – Awarded Padma Bhushan in 2001 – Handed over executive role to Rajiv Bajaj in 2005 – Got elected to Rajya Sabha from 2006-2010 – Stepped down as non-executive chairman in 2021