The Kirloskars

Hello! Brings You Upclose With the Bangalore-based Family Synonymous With the Toyota Kirloskar Group of Companies. Meet Vikram Kirloskar, (Grandson to Sl Kirloskar), His Wife, Geetanjali and His Daughter, Manasi Kirloskar, Heiress to the Group

- Sangeeta Wadhwani

FAMILY BLUEPRINT

VIKRAM KIRLOSKAR: A true engineer at heart, like his predecessors who were passionate about manufacturing, Vikram graduated from MIT, Boston in Mechanical Engineering (his grandfather SL Kirloskar was the first Indian to graduate from the same school.) He is not only an expert on key areas to do with engineering, but is highly conversant on cinema, history, theatre, music, sport, travel and the arts. “A painter, sculptor and an amazing chef, he can whip up creative foods on the spot, be they French, Indian, Italian or American cuisine. A very refined man, he is a connoisseur of fine wines, foods, the opera and Indian classical music,” shares his wife.

GEETANJALI KIRLOSKAR: A successful businesswoman and entrepreneur, (with a history in TV and film), she is the creative and motivational pillar to the nuclear family. She built up the Kirloskar Group advertising portfolio, forming a joint venture with the InterPublic Worldwide Group (IPG), creating a new company, Quadrant Communications Ltd. She also set up a non-profit foundation, India Japan, to increase engagement between the two countries. The Honorary Consul for Finland in Bangalore, she balances her many business responsbilities with creative and sporty activities, like Indian classical vocal music, outdoor sports and writing. Multi-faceted, she also micro manages the Kirloskar mansion, and all the family’s social commitments. Her father’s grandfather was the Raja of Sangli, Maharashtra, so Geetanjali has a strong sense of rootedness. “My father’s paternal family are the Rajwades of Gwalior, who were Prime Ministers in the court of the Scindias. I’d like to think my restless and vivacious nature is the perfect complement to my husband’s calm, strong, silent, intellectual, technical brilliance,” she shares.