Rajiv Bajaj, managing director of Bajaj Auto, has a poignant note in memory of his father legendary industrialist Rahul Bajaj, who died on Saturday. He was cremated today with full State honuors in Pune.
“All men die, not all men truly live,” Rajiv Bajaj wrote in his status on WhatsApp on Saturday evening. The line is a spin-off of the famous line by William Wallace: “every man dies, not every man really lives”.
Rahul Bajaj,83, had pneumonia and also a heart problem. He was admitted to the hospital for last one month, said Dr Purvez Grant, the managing trustee at Ruby Hall Clinic.
Rahul Bajaj is survived by two sons, Rajiv Bajaj and Sanjiv Bajaj, and a daughter Sunaina Kejriwal.
He died in the “presence of his closest family members”, a Bajaj Group statement said.
Rahul Bajaj had stepped down as the chairman of Bajaj Auto last year, ending a 49-year stint as the head of the two-wheeler manufacturer known for iconic taglines like “Hamara Bajaj” and “you just can’t beat a Bajaj”. He was honoured with Padma Bhushan, the third-highest civilian award, in 2001.
He stepped down as non-executive chairman of Bajaj Auto in April 2021. While his younger son Sanjiv took over as chairman at both the finance companies last year, cousin Niraj Bajaj was appointed chairman of Bajaj Auto while elder son Rajiv will continue as managing director.
Rahul Bajaj had BA (Honours) in Economics from the University of Delhi, a law degree from Mumbai University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Rahul Bajaj took charge of the Bajaj Group in 1965. Under his leadership, the automaker firm saw its turnover growing to Rs 12,000 crore from just Rs 7.2 crore.
