Harsh Goenka, Chairman, RPG Enterprises
Rahul Bajaj and I had a rather unusual relationship. He knew my father (the industrialist R. P. Goenka) well and addressed him as guru. The fact that I was much younger never mattered and he always reached out to me. I called him Rahul Bhaiya and for me, it was a combination of respect and friendship.
Our families knew each other for a few generations and to that extent, this was a long and old connection. Rahul Bajaj used to come home often and have long conversations with my father on our group’s acquisitions. He was a man with a curious mind and the “why and what” always intrigued him.
In his passing, Indian industry has lost its greatest brand ambassador. I have seen him at Davos, where he was one of the key figures and his huge charismatic presence and his amazing oratory helped create a distinct image for India, when we were still not a prominent economic force. He proudly wore the Indian badge and his parties remained unmissable events. It had the top global executives in full attendance and for us from India, this was incredible. Here we saw a great ambassador of the country and he held his own quite easily.
Speaking of being Indian, his safari suits were again very different. Rahul Bajaj was an early adopter of it and be it in white, cream or slightly pinkish, he wore it everywhere. In later years, he moved to traditional Indian attire and that too sat well on him.
Rahul Bajaj led a simple life and one with sound value systems. In Pune, he lived in the factory complex and his two sons went to the school that the workers’ kids attended. The only luxury he afforded himself was a private jet but that again was only for business convenience and not for leisure.
His ability to speak his mind is known and he did have a spine. That was one part of the persona but the sharp business mind was something to watch. A lot of business groups were getting into the diversification game in a big way. When my father asked him what his plans were, it revolved around being focussed on two-wheelers. Today, focus and core competence are part of modern business but again, we are speaking of a different era.
He will always be remembered for his exceptionally strong moral compass. He was always making sure that he, his family and his businesses were always doing the right things with high ethics and values. As a director in one of his group companies, I can vouch for the humane approach that the group practices and the highest levels of corporate governance. Even though he has built his companies during a time when adopting short cuts was the norm, he always went the straight way.
We will miss his magnetic personality. I remember there was a meeting with the then US President and five of us businessmen. Ratan Tata told him “Rahul you speak last, otherwise there won’t be any time for anybody else to speak.” We all had a hearty laugh.
Rahul Bhaiya’s sons Rajiv and Sanjiv carry his legacy and are undoubtedly the best performing siblings of India Inc. There is an abundance of good advice and volumes of examples he has set that will be his legacy for all of us. At the end of his journey, he is someone who can truly say, “I have fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith.”