Hamara Bajaj | Rahul Bajaj’s life was truly extraordinary

Image credit: ISB

DNV Kumara Guru

I joined the Indian School of Business (ISB) in 2005, and one of my responsibilities in the Dean’s Office was to manage the meetings of the executive board. Rahul Bajaj was an integral part of the ISB board for 21 years, until he stepped down in 2018.

One of my earliest memories of Bajaj was his friendly banter with Sunil Kant Munjal about two-wheeler market leadership. In his inimitable style, Bajaj would poke fun at his colleagues on the board. Still, when it came to business, he would be serious, and invariably address Rajat Gupta and Adi Godrej, both personal friends of his, as “chairman” in deference to the position they occupied. This gesture is not something that one can dismiss out of hand, for it reflected Bajaj’s personality, as we have come to know.

Gift — But With A Catch

If you have attended one of our executive education programmes at our Hyderabad campus, you would have dined at the Bajaj Dining Hall. That hall was named in recognition of Rahul Bajaj’s contribution towards ISB’s inception.

After the Mohali campus became operational in 2012, there was a renewed focus on fundraising. When the discussion came up at the board, Bajaj volunteered to make a substantial commitment — but there was a catch. He wanted at least one more member from the board to match his gift. A year or so passed by, and as Dean Rangnekar’s tenure was ending, he reminded ‘Rahul bhai’ of his commitment. Bajaj was clear — he would make the contribution but not without his rider. In his characteristic manner, Bajaj turned to Godrej, and told him, “Chairman, if you cannot get anyone else to match my gift, then the onus is on you.” Godrej immediately agreed and committed to matching Bajaj’s gift. The library in Hyderabad is named the Bajaj Auto Library. His generosity, power of persuasion, and influence were great gifts to institutions that benefitted from his association.

The Extraordinary Bajaj

Bajaj’s life was indeed extraordinary. It is fallacious to assume that his life was extraordinary because of his professional accomplishments. People earn this honorific based on how they treat others, especially people much junior to them.

In April 2016, I was at the Delhi airport waiting to board a flight to Hyderabad when I saw Bajaj at the gate; and I wished him. He confirmed if I was also on my way to Hyderabad (we were headed there for Graduation Day), and immediately told his staff that he would like me to join him on his private jet. His colleague informed him that adding my name to the passenger manifest at this last minute would take time, and delay the takeoff.

Bajaj was not happy with this explanation, and made a phone call only to be advised that this would entail losing the takeoff slot allotted to them. He truly felt sorry that he could not take me along. I profusely thanked him for his offer, and told him that my flight was to depart within the next few minutes in any case. He jokingly told me that he would go ahead and tell folks at ISB that I am following him. When I reached the campus a couple of hours later, I learnt that he had announced that my aircraft was following his, and I would arrive soon. It is a gesture that I will never forget, and I often remind myself of its lessons.

On another occasion, I was invited as the chair of Young Indians to speak at a felicitation ceremony organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to honour Nobel laureate Kailash Satyarthi. Bajaj was in the audience, in the first row. After I sat down on the dais, he gave me a broad smile and a thumbs up to indicate that I spoke well. It meant the world to me.

A Friendly Reminder

His 30-minute address to the graduating batach of ISB in 2017 is worth a watch. Congratulating the parents of the graduating students, he said, “At the root of the global competitiveness of the Indian people as individuals is the strength of the institution of the family”. He further added, “I especially congratulate your mothers. Indian fathers may be passe, but mothers are something very special.” There was a huge applause from the students and their families. It was a friendly reminder to all of us to not forget the foundational strength provided by our family.

When Bajaj stepped down from the ISB board in 2018, we thought about a befitting gift, and commissioned a young artist to carve his portrait on a piece of chalk. Bajaj was visibly delighted to receive this.

Growing up in my time, everybody had a personal Hamara Bajaj story. This is my Hamara Rahul Bajaj story.

DNV Kumara Guru is Director, External Relations, Marketing and Communications, Indian School of Business. Views are personal, and do not represent the stand of this publication.