Rahul Bajaj, former Chairman of Bajaj Auto passes away at 83

Rahul Bajaj. (Illustration: MoneyControl)

Former Chairman of Bajaj Auto, Rahul Bajaj, passed away at 83 on February 12, confirmed the automaker firm.

Bajaj was honoured with Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001.

"It is with deep sorrow that I inform you about the passing away of Shri Rahul Bajaj, husband of the late Rupa Bajaj and father of Rajiv/Deepa, Sanjiv/Shefali and Sunaina/Manish. He passed away on the afternoon of 12th February, 2022 in the presence of his closest family members," a statement from Bajaj Group read.

Follow our Live Blog Here: 

Rahul Bajaj had pneumonia and also a heart problem. He was admitted to the Ruby Hall Clinic a month ago and breathed his last on Saturday at 2.30 pm.

Born on June 10, 1938, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bajaj graduated from St Stephen's College in Delhi University with an Honours Degree in Economics in 1958. Apart from this, Bajaj also has a degree in Law from Bombay University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

He took over a Chief Executive Officer of Bajaj Auto in 1968 and was appointed as Managing Director in 1972. He also served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from 1979 to 1980 and president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). He was appointed as Chairman of the erstwhile Indian Airlines from 1986-89 and became CII President for a second time during 1999-2000.

From 2006 to 2010, he also served as a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha. In April 2021, he stepped down as Chairman of Bajaj Auto. However, he was appointed as firm's Chairman Emeritus for five years.