Rahul Bajaj, Ex Chairman of Bajaj Group, Passes Away

New Delhi, Feb 12: Auto industry, politicians and eminent personalities have come together to mourn the loss of Rahul Bajaj, former chairman of the Bajaj group, who passed away in Pune on Saturday. Bajaj, who had been ill for some time, passed away at the age of 83.

President Ram Nath Kovind expressed his condolences on the demise of Bajaj and tweeted his career reflected the rise and innate strength of the nation's corporate sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi too tweeted that the noted auto industry giant will be remembered for his noteworthy contributions to the world of commerce and industry.

Other noted politicians such as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, P. Chidambaram, Jairam Ramesh, Sachin Pilot along with Assam Chief Minister and BJP leader Himanta Biswa Sarma, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, TMC leader and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also expressed condolence over the demise of Rahul Bajaj.

Mr Kenichi Ayukawa, President, Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM), issued a statement saying the auto industry of India shares deep sorrow on the demise of Bajaj, who was also an ex-President of the apex auto association.

"The entire Automobile Industry joins me in expressing our deep sorrow on the sad demise of Shri Rahul Bajaj, Chairman Emeritus at Bajaj Auto. He was a great industrialist who built an empire on sound principles and left a legacy that makes India proud with presence in several countries. He was SIAM President during 1976-77 and made invaluable contributions to the Indian Automobile industry," the SIAM President has said in an official statement.

"The greatness of his personality lay in his simplicity, accessibility, frank and honest communication just like his visionary entrepreneurship. SIAM pays homage to this great leader. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this tragic time. May God bless the departed soul," he added.

The Padma Bhushan awardee industrialist is survived by two sons, Rajiv Bajaj and Sanjiv Bajaj, and a daughter Sunaina Kejriwal. He had stepped down from his position of non-executive director and chairman at the company Bajaj Auto on April 30, 2021.

Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company, also issued a statement, saying, "Rahul Bajaj strode across the Indian industrial landscape like a colossus. He was among the few stars who created the Indian automotive industry. He was a pioneer who established a culture of quality and technology. He stood for high integrity in business and stuck to his principles. Rahul played a key role in industry bodies around the world like World Economic Forum and CII and was very well respected. He will be sorely missed."

Maharashtra government has announced that Rahul Bajaj will be cremated with state honours on Sunday.