Rahul Bajaj: An Extraordinary Life

by Gita Piramal

'Integrity and character matter. Without them, no amount of ability can get you anywhere. In addition, you need courage--courage to make difficult decisions and courage to oppose something if your conscience tells you that you are right'--Rahul Bajaj
Rahul Bajaj is a billionaire businessman, the chairman emeritus of the Bajaj Group and a former member of Parliament. This book is not just the story of Rahul Bajaj but the story of India. The author takes us through the country's transformation from the time Rahul Bajaj's mother was imprisoned during the freedom struggle to the prism of his eventful life.
Based on unrestricted interviews, the book is full of anecdotes, business learnings and political asides. It is, at its core, a moving human story.

Genres: Biography

288 pages, Hardcover

Published June 21, 2022

Reviews

[Diptakirti Chaudhuri]

Gita Piramal’s biography of Rahul Bajaj is not only a complete story of the entrepreneur’s life but also a concise history of Indian business and politics. It paints a vivid picture of how India’s politics defined its economy and society in the decades immediately after Independence. E.g. the production quota allocated to business houses, ostensibly to prevent wastage of national resources, is a relic that’s discussed in detail and would be pretty educative in a post-liberalisation India. Similarly, India’s alignment with Japan in the 1980s (in the context of a weakening USSR) led to how automotive collaborations were made in that decade and defined our two-wheeler market for the next several decades.

While this is an authorised biography, it is quite open about Bajaj’s setbacks – chronicling labour union issues, delays in market entry and the like. Rahul Bajaj has been universally acknowledged as a feisty, outspoken and charismatic leader, but this book also focuses on his circumspect businessman persona – especially by detailing several complicated problems that he contemplated and then moved decisively to solve. The book also doesn’t shy away from describing Bajaj’s ‘anti-establishment’ nature in detail and the run-ins he had with several governments across eras.

The book doesn’t become a self-help book, though many biographies cannot shy away from giving a few nuggets of wisdom from the subject’s life. Bajaj (in his interviews with the author) remains more casual and explains his business philosophy anecdotally. And stories do abound – from his carefree college days in Delhi and Mumbai and then in Massachusetts, to his initial days as a Purchase Officer in the Bajaj group, to becoming the Chairman of a company he built almost from scratch, to becoming a doyen of Indian industry with a successful second generation in place, Bajaj’s is truly an extraordinary life, and the book does full justice to that.

[Bhuvanesh Kandasamy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book touches on the history of the Bajaj group predominantly after Rahul Bajaj's father Kamalnayan's tenure. It shares their closeness to the Nehru's family and how it changed throughout decades. The group benefitted through the license Raj regime where they held monopoly of the market. The group was able to capitalise after liberalisation, when they transformed into a motorcycle maker under the guidance of Rajiv Bajaj and financial services provider under the guidance of Sanjiv Bajaj. They were one of the few family businesses who transitioned from generation to generation in a smooth manner. The book also includes anecdotes of various family members sharing their experience with the patriarch Rahul Bajaj.

[Nikhil · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is a good read. It's more of the story of Bajaj as a company than Bajaj as an individual.
The author might have included more personal life incidents of Bajaj and her wife or Bajaj and his children or Bajaj and his parents.
I didn't get deep sense of nature and problem solving skills or a businessman like him although I got an idea that he is honest, quick and ethical person.
Business description wise the book is well read but it has very few incidents where it captured his emotions except for a separate chapter where each or his relatives has different opinions and experiences with Bajaj.

[r_nandwani · Rating 4 out of 5]

BAJAJ, a name known to every Indian household. It all started with its scooters, jingles and the name Rahul Bajaj. Well written how Mr Rahul Bajaj was and who he was and how he built everything with what he had of resources in the times. Being a family man and how he kept his family around him is less heard and seen in today's time is something one is missing out on while building something. Great learnings and captured the true sense of emotions while handling business. Pleasant read for one who is wanting to know the great pillars of Indian business on knowing who they truly were.

[Anil Joshi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Could have been better

As Rahul Bajaj commands high stature in the Corporate Sector, I had high hopes from this book. Unfortunately the book is not written in an engaging style. At many places it has become mundane. Had to leave it half way.

[Nirmala Shetty · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply superb. Got the goose bumps while reading it. This book is not just a biography, but it is the history of Indian Economy and Polity from Rahul Bajaj’s perspective ! 🙏👏👏👏😊

[Pushkar Sohony · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a very detailed and must read book, though it is a biography but it will give insights of the business / country as a whole.

[Gokul Nair · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much nostalgia is packed in this book.

[Robert Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Biography of a Indian patriot and businessperson, and his amazing family. I found it an engaging lens to Indian history of the 20th century, and its future.