Veteran industrialist and the Chairman Emeritus of Bajaj Auto, Rahul Bajaj passed away in Pune after being in hospital for almost a month. He was 83.
In a statement, Bajaj Group said the end came in the presence of his closest family members on Saturday afternoon. Bajaj was suffering from pneumonia and also had a heart problem.
“It is with deep sorrow that I inform you about the passing away of Shri Rahul Bajaj, husband of the late Rupa Bajaj and father of Rajiv/Deepa, Sanjiv/Shefali and Sunaina/Manish. He passed away on the afternoon of 12th February, 2022 in the presence of his closest family members,” said the statement from Bajaj Group.
“I stand on the shoulders of giants.”
Thank you, Rahulbhai, for letting me clamber up onto your broad shoulders, advising me, cheering me on, encouraging me to be bold. Your footprints on the sands of Indian Business will never be extinguished..
Om Shanti pic.twitter.com/TOemOPvsEL— anand mahindra (@anandmahindra) February 12, 2022
Born on June 10 1938, Bajaj was the grandson of freedom fighter Jamnalal Bajaj who laid the foundation of the Bajaj Group including Bajaj Auto in the 1940s. He was an alumnus of Harward Business School and St Stephen’s College in Delhi and also had a degree in law from Government Law College in Mumbai.
Passing away of Sh. Rahul Bajaj is a great loss. He created a brand in two wheelers and worked effectively in #RajyaSabha.
My homage to the departed soul. Om Shanti. #RahulBajaj@PMOIndia @BJP4India @PTI_News @PIBMumbai @ANI pic.twitter.com/ml8YgjcQv0— Prakash Javadekar (@PrakashJavdekar) February 12, 2022
Bajaj took over the reins of his family business in 1965 and under his leadership Bajaj Auto became one of the largest two wheeler manufacturers in the world by the 1980s. With the Chetak and Priya scooters and the catchy Humara Bajaj tagline coined by famous ad-guru the late Alyque Padamsee, Bajaj became a household name with waiting period of its scooters stretching upto years. Known for his straight talk, Bajaj was instrumental in the formation of the so called Bombay Club in the 1990’s and an outlier in the Indian corporate landscape. Unlike most of his peers he never held back while criticising government policies. The latest was in December 2019 when at a public event in the presence of home minister Amit Shah, he criticised the government for not doing enough to stop lynchings in the country and of the element of fear among Indian business leaders.
Saddened by the passing away of renowned industrialist & one of the longest serving chairman in corporate India, Padma Bhushan Shri Rahul Bajaj ji. He is credited with making brand Bajaj a household name. My heartfelt condolences to his family members. Om Shanti #RahulBajaj pic.twitter.com/9dfSvk9Vmo
— Praful Patel (@praful_patel) February 12, 2022
He stepped down from active management of Bajaj Auto in 2005 handing over the reins to his eldest son Rajiv Bajaj. He served one term in the Rajya Sabha between 2006-10 and served as the president of industry body Confederation of Indian Industry twice in 1979-80 and 1999-00. For his contribution to the field of business, he was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2001. He also expertly managed succession in the group splitting it into three parts with Rajiv Bajaj incharge of Bajaj Auto and younger son Sanjiv Bajaj at the head of Bajaj Finserv. He stepped down from the position of Chairman of Bajaj Auto in April 2021 ceding it to his cousin Niraj Bajaj while staying on as Chairman Emeritus.
I join my father in condoling the death of #RahulBajaj ji. He will be remembered as one of India’s great industrialists who successfully navigated the reforms in the Indian economy while never afraid to speak truth to power. God speed sir. Rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/bxrvpbhGgt
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) February 12, 2022
Tributes and condolence messages poured in from politicians and business leaders alike.
The ‘spine’ of Indian business cracks. A close family friend, he was a visionary, straight talking and very respected for his value systems. An era ends! He leaves behind the two most capable sons in Indian industry, Rajiv and Sanjiv. #RahulBajaj Om shanti… pic.twitter.com/IziHS03I0D
— Harsh Goenka (@hvgoenka) February 12, 2022
“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. He stood for high integrity in business and stuck to his principles. Rahul played a key role in industry bodies around the world like World Economic Forum and CII and was very well respected. He will be sorely missed,” Mr Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company.
Also Read:
Bajaj, who had resigned from the post of non-executive Chairman of Bajaj Auto in April, in his last address to shareholders as the head of the company also lashed out at lockdowns saying that will destroy business, employment and the economy without necessarily controlling the spread of COVID-19.
