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In 1970-71, when licences and manufacturing capacities have been tightly managed by the federal government, he vigorously argued his firm’s case for producing extra scooters. Some 20 years later, he turned one of the vocal members of the ‘Bombay Membership’ in search of a “level-playing area” for Indian companies after the 1991 reforms. And, extra lately, in 2019, on the ET Awards, within the presence of Union ministers, he spoke about the necessity to create an atmosphere the place businessmen may overtly criticise authorities insurance policies and nonetheless be appreciated.
After getting back from Harvard Enterprise College with an MBA within the Sixties, he constructed Bajaj Auto into the nation’s pre-eminent two-wheeler firm with households keen to attend for a decade to personal a Bajaj Chetak or Bajaj Tremendous scooter. Its iconic ‘Hamara Bajaj’ marketing campaign turned synonymous with middle-class desires.
He was extensively referred to as the fearless voice of India Inc. On the post-Funds assembly of business associations with authorities representatives, Bajaj would ‘open the innings’, making sharp feedback, typically to the displeasure or discomfiture of mantris and babus. He was candid with nearly everybody and the whole lot – together with son Rajiv’s determination to discontinue manufacturing scooters. “It is extremely troublesome for me to reward anyone, I used to be not born that approach… I used to be born anti-establishment,” he had mentioned at an ET Awards operate a number of years in the past, the place he talked about that he was named by Jawaharlal Nehru.
Head for enterprise, coronary heart for group
Rahul Bajaj was one in every of a form. He had a persona that matched his towering top. The grandson of a freedom-fighter, and born right into a household that believed it had a accountability in direction of society, Rahul Bajaj believed within the thought of India. His scooters turned a logo of a younger nation on the transfer. He was one of many first to turn out to be a world-beater in his business and to take an Indian model international. However he was greater than a enterprise titan – he was a person of robust beliefs who did not draw back from talking his thoughts. His two sons reside as much as the famed Bajaj identify and they’ll likely take their companies to nice new heights. What India will miss is a voice that got here straight from the guts,” mentioned Samir Jain, vice chairman and managing director, The Instances of India Group.
“Rahul Bajaj strode throughout the Indian industrial panorama like a colossus. He was a pioneer who established a tradition of high quality and know-how. He stood for top integrity in enterprise and caught to his ideas,” mentioned Venu Srinivasan, chairman, TVS Motor Firm.
A lot earlier than Model India or ‘atmanirbharta’ got here into the lexicon, the Bajaj Group was a part of the unique ‘swadeshi’ motion, which noticed Bajaj Auto going into scooters in collaboration with Piaggio.
The group performed a really huge function in turning Pune into one in every of India’s largest busi-ness hubs. He relocated from Bombay to Akurdi, which was then a village on the outskirts of Pune. Bajaj took pleasure in creating an organization that noticed just one labour strike and a tradition the place his youngsters went to the identical college as his managers’.
He was a tricky negotiator and held agency throughout talks with Honda when it was trying to enter India within the Eighties, refusing to supply any fairness to the Japanese auto firm, and insisting solely on a know-how tie-up. Throughout this era, Indian choice modified from scooters to bikes, particularly these with four-stroke engines, one thing that Bajaj did not manufacture, leading to Hero Honda rising as market chief some 15 years in the past. By this time, Bajaj had put Rajiv within the driver’s seat. “You’re a nice supervisor. You’re doing nicely on prices and high quality. All I do know is, I used to be primary, you’re quantity two!” Bajaj would tease his son.
Whereas specializing in enterprise, which later diversified into monetary companies, Bajaj additionally constructed robust relationships around the globe. He was among the many early guests to Davos, the alpine resort the place international business leaders converge for an annual summit that goes past enterprise. First launched to the European Administration Discussion board by Baba Kalyani’s father Neelkanth Kalyani, Bajaj was instrumental in getting the World Financial Discussion board to India within the Eighties. Till a number of years in the past, he remained a eager participant on the jamboree.
Bajaj could have been seen as a voice in opposition to liberalisation however those that know him keep that he was misunderstood and that each one he requested for was a level-playing area.
Consistent with the household custom he was born into, Bajaj had a deep social conscience and believed that companies have been meant to serve folks and communities. In addition to making substantial monetary commitments in direction of well being, training and livelihoods, Bajaj took private curiosity within the group’s philanthropic actions.
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