oppn parties Rahul Bajaj: Industrialist By Profession, Philanthropist At Heart

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  • Allahabad HC said that the UP Police is acting as law unto themselves as they detained a person unlawfully even before his arrest
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  • Neha Bora was subsequently released and Dipke is to appear before a magistrate today at noon
  • Delhi Police detained Cockroach Janta Party founder Abhijeet Dipke, Neha Bora of AISA, student leaders and supporters ahead of a rally in Connaught Place demanding Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar's resignation. The protest followed the detention and jailing of two CJP leaders earlier in the week over demonstrations at Jantar Mantar
  • The Reserve Bank of India is considering further monetary tightening to counter capital outflows and increase the cost of betting against the rupee, according to bankers and analysts cited by Reuters. The measures follow recent rate increases and steps to drain liquidity as pressure on the currency and inflation concerns persist
  • India directed oil marketing companies to stop diverting sugar-based feedstocks for ethanol production in the 2026–27 supply year, according to a new tender issued on Friday. The companies have invited bids for 11 billion litres of ethanol made from alternatives including corn and broken rice, amid concerns about domestic sugar supplies and prices
  • Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India's trade imbalance with China was growing sharply and attributed the problem partly to restrictions on Indian goods and services entering the Chinese market. China subsequently said it was ready to work with India to address mutual economic and trade concerns; India's trade deficit with China reached $69 billion in the first half of FY2026–27, up 27% year-on-year
  • Indian equity benchmarks extended their recovery on Friday, with the Sensex rising 413.66 points to close at 74,729.27 and the Nifty 50 gaining 148.80 points to settle at 23,146.15. Information technology shares, including Tech Mahindra, Infosys and TCS, helped lift the indices
  • India defeated Zimbabwe by four wickets in the opening women's T20 International in Raipur, taking a 1–0 lead in the three-match series. Deepti Sharma and Niki Prasad combined in an 82-run stand after India's top order collapsed, helping the hosts chase down Zimbabwe's total of 114 for five
  • Indian wrestler Komal won bronze in the women's 59 kg category at the Under-23 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas, defeating Kazakhstan's Viktoriia Khusainova 7–2. Fellow Indian Amruta Pujari advanced to the women's 72 kg final after recording two pinfall victories
  • Indian shuttler Jagsher Singh Khangurra secured a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships in Cairo
  • The Supreme Court of India upheld the Bombay High Court's decision quashing the 2020 write-off of ₹8,415 crore in additional tier-1 bonds issued by Yes Bank (Yes Bank). The court ruled that the bank's administrator lacked the authority to extinguish the bonds under the final reconstruction scheme, strengthening bondholders' claims
  • The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission of India, Delhi Police and opposition leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Akhilesh Yadav, in separate petitions concerning electoral-roll revision and protests held in Delhi on October 10–12. The court also directed the preservation of CCTV footage linked to allegations of police excesses
  • The Supreme Court ruled that a person converting from Hinduism to Islam cannot automatically claim backward-class reservation benefits in the new religious community solely on the basis of their previous caste status. The judgment upheld the Madras High Court's decision striking down a 2024 Tamil Nadu government order that permitted such certification for specified communities
  • The Election Commission of India ordered a Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in 14 states and three Union Territories, using January 1, 2027, as the qualifying date for voter eligibility. The draft rolls are scheduled for publication on November 12, claims and objections will be accepted until December 11, and the final rolls are due on January 4, 2027
Delhi HC refuses to ban CJP's Tiranga rally at Central Park in Connaught Place today /////// Police says will control and regulate it /////// NDMC closes the park for the public on Friday and Saturday
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Rahul Bajaj: Industrialist By Profession, Philanthropist At Heart

By Linus Garg
First publised on 2022-02-13 07:07:09

About the Author

Sunil Garodia Linus tackles things head-on. He takes sides in his analysis and it fits excellently with our editorial policy. No 'maybe's' and 'allegedly' for him, only things in black and white.

The death of Rahul Bajaj has taken away a man who was a businessman and industrialist by profession but a philanthropist at heart. To Bajaj, profits mattered, as they will to any businessman, but it also mattered to him to give back to society. In building Hamara Bajaj into a world-renowned brand, Bajaj worked ethically and fairly to ensure that his workers never suffered (there was just one strike at his factories many decades). He also personally handled the CSR initiatives of the group for many years and helped many marginalized and deprived communities through group charities. He also took pride in building institutions and always actively participated in industry associations. He also regularly attended the World Economic Forum meet in Davos.

Being a proud Indian (coming from a family of freedom fighters), Bajaj always spoke his mind without fear or favour. Long before atmanirbharta or Make in India, Bajaj set up an enterprise that made world class scooters. When the economy was liberalized in 1991, Bajaj was the first industrialist to demand a level playing field so that homegrown enterprises did not suffer. Some thought that he was against liberalization and wanted protection for Indian industry but they misunderstood him. He worked through the licence-quota raj and then through liberalization to keep the Bajaj flag flying high. Bajaj delayed the shift towards motorcycles but lost no time in catching up and made Pulsar one of the most desired brands.

Rahul Bajaj was one of the few industrialists who was not afraid of the government and the punitive action it can take against industrial groups. As recently as 2019, he spoke his mind before several Union ministers, telling the government that businessmen should be allowed to criticize government policy without becoming persona non grata or inviting adverse action. Corporate India has lost one of its giants, someone they could always bank upon for raising his voice to protect their interests. 

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