Rahul Bajaj, the man who made two-wheelers a part and aspiration of every Indian middle-class household, passed away on February 12. Veteran leader was 83. “Rahul Bajaj died today at 2.30 pm. He died due to heart and lungs problems. He was admitted for past one month in Ruby hall hospital in Pune,” Dr Parvej Grant, chairman of Ruby Hall hospital told ANI.
He was at the helm of India’s second largest auto company for over five decades. Under his strong leadership, Bajaj Auto reached the hearts of millions in the country. Two-wheelers in India had been synonymous with Bajaj between 1970s and 1990s.
Born on June 30, 1938 in Kolkata, Bajaj graduated with an Honours Degree in Economics from the prestigious St Stephen’s College, Delhi in 1958. He also had an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 1926, Jamnalal Bajaj, Rahul Bajaj’s grandfather formed Bajaj group of companies. After finishing studies, Bajaj took over as chief executive officer of Bajaj Auto in 1968. And the dream run begins…
Bajaj launched its most iconic scooter Bajaj Chetak and within few years it became one of those most-loved two-wheelers in the country. For rising aspirations middle-class Bajaj Chetak was a matter of pride. And they showered love for Chetak for years.
Very few companies have dominated the market the way Bajaj did for decades. In 1950s and 1960s, Bajaj group sold three-wheeled autorickshaws and mini trucks. In 1960s, Bajaj established a plant to manufacture Vespa scooters in collaboration with Piaggio of Italy. From 1970s, the company became the undisputed in the two-wheeler market in India.
Bajaj was one of the first companies to launch a locally made motorcycle in India through a tie-up with Kawasaki of Japan. Even when the demand for scooters faded away in the late 1990s, Bajaj changed the gear and shifted to stay relevant.
In 2001, Rahul Bajaj was awarded with Padma Bhushan the third highest civilian honour in the country. He served twice as the President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), once at the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). Bajaj also as the Chairman of the erstwhile Indian Airlines.
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