He was a role model, great listener, guide

Vikram Kirloskar

Chairman & Managing Director

Kirloskar Systems Private Limited

My first-ever interaction with Rahul Bhai happened one evening. I had gone to Bajaj Auto to sell machine tools and was impressed that his office, which was right above and in the corner of his factory building, had its door wide open. I entered and asked for his time to share my pitch. Despite the late hour, I remember him patiently listening to me, asking me questions, and encouraging me. That conversation, sometime in the early 1980s, was the first of many similar conversations we would have over the years. I got to know him even better through our work in Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) and The Brookings Institution and to say that his advice and support were invaluable to me would be an understatement.

Famous for his straight talk and unbiased opinion, he also practised listening before speaking. He was a role model; someone we looked up to. He not only set the benchmark for us as an industrialist, businessman, philanthropist, and entrepreneur but also as a genuine person and leader. When we talk about his legacy, we often think of “Hamara Bajaj” and how Bajaj two-wheeler brought together a whole nation. Or we look at how he made Bajaj a household name, synonymous with quality and value and one of the largest two-wheeler manufacturers and exporters in the world. He was a nation builder, helping India grow in different ways. His pioneering efforts back then laid the foundation for both the Indian automotive and manufacturing industry today. His foresight and business expertise have paved the way for making end-to-end domestic manufacturing a reality. He also inspired many generations of entrepreneurs and problem solvers. All of this is also part of the legacy he leaves behind.

To me, he was always Rahul Bhai — a friend and guide. He always spoke his mind, so you knew the advice you got from him was valuable. I could always turn to him when going through a tricky situation or when I needed to make a tough decision. Someone who would listen to a young businessman who happened to come into his office late one evening to sell him machine tools.