Industrialist Rahul Bajaj Dies At 83 During his leadership, he took Bajaj Auto to new heights. With the successful 'Hamara Bajaj' campaign, the company reached the hearts of millions in the country
By Shrabona Ghosh •
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Veteran industrialist Rahul Bajaj, former chairman of the Bajaj group, died at the age of 83 on Saturday, in Pune.
After the news broke out, several political leaders and known personalities have extended their condolences.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted, "Shri Rahul Bajaj Ji will be remembered for his noteworthy contributions to the world of commerce and industry. Beyond business, he was passionate about community service and was a great conversationalist. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti."
Shri Rahul Bajaj Ji will be remembered for his noteworthy contributions to the world of commerce and industry. Beyond business, he was passionate about community service and was a great conversationalist. Pained by his demise. Condolences to his family and friends. Om Shanti.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 12, 2022
During his leadership over the decades, he took Bajaj Auto to new heights. With the successful "Hamara Bajaj' campaign, the company reached the hearts of millions in the country. After 50 years of steering the growth of India's second-largest motorcycle maker Bajaj Auto, the director had announced his plans to step down from the executive role on March 31, 2020.
He served as a director of the company from April 1, 1970. He was last re-appointed by the company's board for a five-year term with effect from April 2015.
Owning a Bajaj scooter during the 80s was not only a matter of pride, but was also considered a fruit of hard work and labor by middle-class Indians. Apart from this, its two-wheeler model, Bajaj Chetak gained immense popularity among the middle-class. Chetak—named after the legendary horse of Indian warrior and the 13th King of Mewar, Maharana Pratap—had populated the roads in India during the 1990s.
Bajaj group was founded by Jamnalal Bajaj in 1926. Rahul Bajaj was born in 1938, he was the grandson of Jamnalal Bajaj . Rahul Bajaj completed his schooling from The Cathedral and John Connon School and graduated in economics from St. Stephen's College in Delhi in 1958. Following this, he went on to complete his degree in law from Bombay University and pursued MBA from the Harvard Business School in the US. He succeeded his father Kamalnayan Bajaj and became CEO of Bajaj Auto in 1968.
The industrialist was honored with Padma Bhushan in 2001.
