In Top Gear

RAJIV BAJAJ HAS A 360° PLAN TO MAKE BAJAJ AUTO LIVE UP TO ITS TAGLINE ‘THE WORLD’S FAVOURITE INDIAN’.

- Aveek Datta

ONE OF RAJIV BAJAJ’S FAVOURITE movie scenes is the opening sequence from the 2004 Hollywood blockbuster Troy. In the scene, the Trojan and Greek armies decide to settle the fight through a duel between Achilles (played by Brad Pitt), the greatest of all Greek warriors, and Boagrius, a Trojan fighter.

With Achilles nowhere to be found, a messenger boy is sent to summon the warrior. As Achilles mounts his horse to take off for battle, the petrified young boy cautions the Greek that Boagrius was the biggest man he’d ever seen and he wouldn’t want to fight him. “That’s why no one will remember your name,” Achilles says in response and rides away.

Bajaj, 52, has shown this scene to many a colleague to coax them into pushing the envelope further. And much like Achilles’ quest to be remembered as the greatest warrior that ever lived, Bajaj is obsessed with creating a reputation for his company as being one of the most competent automakers in the world.

He hasn’t done badly either. Bajaj Auto is the third-largest motorcycle company in the world with a top line of more than ₹30,000 crore (see chart); the largest manufacturer of three-wheelers in the world; an exporter to over 70 countries; innovator of new products like a quadricycle; and a global partner to marquee superbike brands including KTM, Husqvarna, and Triumph. And the Pune-based company has done all this while maintaining decent profitability.