Rahul Bajaj: Industrialist By Profession, Philanthropist At Heart
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.
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By Linus Garg
First publised on 2022-02-13 07:07:09
About the Author
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.
View all posts by this Author
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.
