Bajaj was honored with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001.
NEW DELHI: Rahul Bajaj, former Chairman of Bajaj Auto, passed away at the age of 83 on February 12. Bajaj was honored with the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2001.
Rahul Bajaj had pneumonia and a heart problem. He was admitted to Ruby Hall Clinic last month and breathed his last on Saturday at 2.30pm.
Born June 10, 1938, in Calcutta (now Kolkata), Bajaj graduated from St Stephen’s College at Delhi University with an Honors degree in Economics in 1958. Apart from this, Bajaj holds a Law degree from Bombay University and an MBA. Harvard Business School.
He became Chief Executive Officer of Bajaj Auto in 1968 and was appointed Managing Director in 1972. He also served as President of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) from 1979 to 1980 and president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). He was elected Chairman of the erstwhile Indian Airlines from 1986-89 and was CII President for the second time between 1999-2000.
From 2006 to 2010, he also served as a Member of Parliament for Rajya Sabha. In April 2021, he resigned as Chairman of Bajaj Auto.