Rahul Bajaj – The titan who lived at his factory site

Expressing deep sadness at the passing away of Rahul Bajaj, Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, Confederation of Indian Industry, said, “He has been like a father figure to all of us at the CII. He not only guided us on all matters but also protected us. His advice on critical matters was always available and helped us take the most important decisions at the institution. For him it was always the country first, a principle we applied to all our policy advocacy. He was the only person to be CII’s president for two terms in 1979-80 and in 1999-2000. His mentorship would be deeply missed by all at the CII.”

Arun Firodia, chairman of Kinetic Group, described Bajaj as the titan who lived at his factory site in Akurdi, rather than in the heart of Pune in Koregaon Park. “He was a doyen of the automobile industry, his unique trait was that although he spoke what was right, he had friends all over. This was because he spoke what was in his heart,” he said. Firodia remembered once asking Bajaj, who was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 2006-10, why he did not do so in the upper house of Indian Parliament. “His reply was characteristic. He said ‘of course I speak but the newspapers do not publish them.’ In return, he sent me the whole recording of his speeches in the upper house. I saw he continued advising the government of the day on what would be the best for the country,” he said.

Firodia’s father HK Firodia was the general manager of Bajaj Automobile when Rahul Bajaj took over the reins. “Before he left for Harvard to study, he once asked my father to guide him on how the insides of an automobile work. I was there with my cousin Abhay and I could see how keenly he was interested in the subject,” Firodia remembered.

Sudhir Mehta, president of the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA), said that Bajaj was one of the greatest industrialists of the country. “He had started on the path of self-reliance even before the Atmanirbhar Bharat campaign. Right after Independence, he had started the industrial revolution in the automobile sector,” he said. According to Mehta, the main characteristics of Bajaj were his strong nationalism, his philanthropy, his honesty and his legacy. “In every gathering, he was the star attraction. He had a lot of warmth,” he said.

Pramod Chaudhari, founder and executive chairman of Praj Industries, talked about the qualities of Bajaj which helped India position itself on the top of the two-wheeler industry globally. “He demonstrated that productivity and quality of products from India are world-class. As a multi-faceted person with diverse interests, Rahul Ji has been a source of inspiration for all industrialists, especially those from Pune. As a strong proponent of liberalisation, he candidly voiced issues about Industrial growth very effectively. Besides providing a strong foundation, he leaves behind a legacy and institution in both the financial and automobile sectors,” he said.