'Buland Bharat Ki Buland Tasveer': Rahul Bajaj's timeless legacy

To many, Rahul Bajaj was just the quintessential Indian businessman. He came from the traditional Marwari community and ran Bajaj Auto very tightly. For at least two generations, the company was synonymous with the Bajaj Chetak scooter. To this day, the senior member in Indian families will speak of the long waiting period for this two-wheeler and how it was always a prized possession, much as the archaic landline was. The sight of a couple with a child (sometimes two) on the Chetak epitomised India of that age. Challengers came and went -- Girnar, LML Vespa -- being some of them, but Bajaj stood tall.

It is commonly known that Bajaj was not in the pink of health for a while. The outspoken voice of India Inc. called it a day at 83 leaving behind a legacy that comprises a thriving motorcycle business and an equally impressive presence in financial services.  

In the early to mid-1980s, there was the very visible entry of the big Japanese motorcycle brands. An emerging Indian middle class now rode an Ind-Suzuki or a Hero Honda or a Yamaha RX 100. Bajaj was the last to succumb and the agreement with Kawasaki saw the launch of the KB100 in 1986. The bigger consequence was the aspirational consumer who would, over time, prefer owning a trendy motorcycle to the not-so-contemporary scooter. In 2009, the decision to exit the scooter business was taken. In early January 2020, the Chetak, an ode to Rana Pratap’s horse, was back, but in an all new electric avatar. Clearly, the brand still had salience and Bajaj’s elder son, Rajiv, now the boss of the automobile business, saw merit in returning to scooters, albeit probably a little late since the likes of Honda were already well set.  

Veteran investment banker, Hemendra Kothari, describes Bajaj as an outspoken businessman and the doyen of industry. “Rahul bhai must be given a lot of credit for keeping the Bajaj family together. He always spoke for the good of the industry,” says Kothari who knew Bajaj for over 45 years. Putting him with Aditya Birla and Dhirubhai Ambani, he thinks “these men ensured that the voice of industry was always heard.”

In 2007, Bajaj Auto was demerged into three entities – auto, finance and the third being the holding company. Since then, the first two have grown at a remarkable clip demonstrating that the exercise of value unlocking was a good idea. As head of the automobile business, Rajiv continues to see success in motorcycles with new launches. His younger brother, Sanjiv has ensured the financial services business is now a powerhouse and among India’s most valuable companies. “Rahul bhai gave independence to both his sons and managed to create a huge empire,” says Kothari.

For the Harvard-educated Bajaj, who took on the top job in 1968, one of the greatest successes was in strengthening the brand value of his company. A big part of this was the unforgettable Hamara Bajaj campaign in 1989. Jaikrit Rawat, who wrote the lines, which also had the memorable Buland Bharat Ki Buland Tasveer line, recalls the emotional quotient that came away with it. “As a nation, we had very little to be proud of at that point and this was a campaign that addressed that latent need,” he says. Speaking of Rawat, it took him barely four hours to pen the lines and to this day, he insists the success was completely unexpected.  

“The film was great in depicting India through the routine day-to-day moments. In reality, it was never about the product but just emotion.” To Bajaj’s credit, he saw the magic and potential in the idea. The team from Lintas shot it across the country and the effort was well and truly worth it. The campaign remains one of the best that has emerged from Indian advertising. Like Rahul Bajaj, the emotions were unbridled and clearly one of the crown jewels in his illustrious life.