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Kiran and Shekhar Bajaj

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Shekhar Bajaj – Chairman & Managing Director, Bajaj Electricals Ltd.

Mr. Shekhar Bajaj is the Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Electricals Limited (BEL). He has been the past President of ASSOCHAM, IMC, ELCOMA (Electric Lamp & Components Manufacturers Association), IFMA (Indian Fans Manufacturers Association) and other associations. He is on the board of Bajaj Auto Ltd. and number of other companies. Born into a family whose brand image bespeaks trust and transparency, brought up in the

Gandhian ideals of his grandfather Shri. Jamnalal Bajaj, he is a unique embodiment of time-tested traditions, visionary zeal and humane concern. A B.Sc. (Hons) degree in Mathematics from Pune University (1968), followed by an M.B.A. degree from New York University (1974), equipped him with the formal training required to complement his homespun talents.

About

Mr Bajaj started his career with Bajaj Sevashram after graduation; he learnt the nitty-gritty of business by working his way up, gaining invaluable insights into the real market and joined Bajaj Electricals Ltd. as Chief Executive in 1980.

Thereafter in 1984, he took over as Managing Director of Bajaj Electricals Limited (1984) and became the Chairman & Managing Director in 1990. He built on the company’s inherent strengths and radically turned around its fortunes. Under his watchful eyes, the company restructured its overall operations, consolidating its formidable retail network to provide the country’s burgeoning middle class with better quality.

Over the years, Bajaj Electricals came to be associated with world-class products that offer great value for money. Mr Bajaj’s growth-oriented vision and policies were always rooted in sound, traditional pragmatism. Shunning complacency, Bajaj Electricals focused on continuous up-gradation of technology and strategic tie-ups that enabled it to remain a resilient player in an intensely competitive market environment. It battled threats from the unorganized sector and recorded a steady rise in assets, sales and profits, inspiring trust among investors. Following a phase of consolidation measures, Bajaj Electricals began to focus on rapid growth. Anticipating future trends, Mr Bajaj initiated the company’s entry into the High Mast and then Transmission Line Tower business, a remarkably successful move. And so, have been the tie-up with international companies like Morphy Richards of UK for Appliances, Midea for Fans, Securiton of Switzerland for Fire Alarms & Security Systems and Delta Controls of Canada for Building Management Systems & HVAC.

Kiran Bajaj

Kiran Bajaj is best described as a poet/writer and an environmentalist. She has combined her two passions to start and run two separate NGOs aptly called Shabdam and Paryavaran Mitra.

About

SHABDAM is dedicated to promoting and supporting Indian Culture and Indian Languages in India and abroad through music, art, literature and others related art forms. Based in Shikohabad, U.P., it was started in 2004. The organisation is supported by eminent writers and literary persons.

Over the last 14 years, Shabdam has reached many milestones by taking different forms of performing arts to a wide audience in cities, towns, villages and even remote pockets of the country.  This includes organising classical and semi classical music, dance and theatre festivals along with well-known organizations. Other cultural endeavors include kavi sammelan, debates and discussions on arts, folk theatre performances as well as efforts to revive brajbhasha, our ancient language as well as local and regional languages. Shabdam has a major focus to promote the use of Hindi language and literature, which is done in colleges and schools through quiz programmes and written contests.

Preserving our environment and battling all forms of pollution resulted in starting Paryavaran Mitra or ‘Friends of Environment’. This NGO brings together like-minded people to practice and propagate environmental friendly measures in small ways so that we can leave our planet better to live for the future generations. It’s like any other form of friendship where there is love, care, affection and concern for our environment.

Earlier she ran a boutique travel agency that took people to different parts of the world for business and pleasure. She was Managing Director of Hind Musafir, a travel agency of the Bajaj Group for 26 years. It benefitted much from her entrepreneurial expertise and sound business plans. She was also Director of Bajaj International and Managing Director of Bachhraj factories. She is an Honorary Adviser to Bajaj Electricals Ltd and Hind Lamps.

Putting social causes ahead of many business responsibilities, she became the youngest President of the Ladies’ Wing of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) in the year 1992-93 and organized 35 successful programmes in a single year. She instituted Jankidevi Bajaj Puraskar for Rural Woman Entrepreneur. As trustee of Laxminarayan temple, she undertook restoration work of the temple and organized grand centenary celebration. She had executed various rural development projects through Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation.

In 1996, Kiran brought out a book of poems ‘Kareeb Aa Rahe Hain Hum’ (We Come Closer) in Hindi and was published by Jaico Publishing House which also contained English rendition of her Hindi Poems. Her verses revolve around life.  They radiate the spirit of Culture.  While she grew up on Vaishnav traditions, Gandhism played a major influence in her development.  This explains the predominance of faith in her poems.

Kiran Bajaj was born in May 1952, into a Vaishnav business family in Kolkata. At the age of 17, Kiran was married into the illustrious ‘Gandhian’ Bajaj family.  Her husband is Shekhar Bajaj, Chairman and Managing Director of Bajaj Electricals Ltd. Late Anant Bajaj, her son, was Managing Director of the company with various interest in art, nature, culture and sports. Daughter Geetika is an accomplished nature artist and bilingual poet in Hindi and English.