Bulund Bharat Ki Bulund Tasveer is how Bajaj used to describe its scooter, which had become the common man’s most popular vehicle even before the iconic advertisement was introduced in the late 1980s. During those times, people had to sometimes wait for over ten years to get the delivery of their vehicle. And when it finally came, it was the most treasured possession of the middle-class Indian household. Under the charismatic leadership of Rahul Bajaj, the company’s plant at Pimpri-Chinchwad-Bhosari industrial area moved from producing just about two to three scooters a day in the 1960s to rolling out over 1,000 vehicles a day by the 1980s. With the motorcycle era taking over in the 1990s and 2000s, the Bajaj scooter production screeched to a halt in 2005. The company’s initial flagship models used to be Bajaj Vespa and Bajaj 150 before Bajaj Super and Bajaj Chetak became the bestsellers in the 1980s. "Bajaj Chetak used to be so popular that one had to pay in foreign currency to get an out of turn allotment or else wait for 10 years to get its ownership by paying in rupees," said Ankush Kakade, former Pune mayor. Kakade said he himself was lucky to own a Bajaj scooter, courtesy his political mentor Sharad Pawar. "In 1982, I was riding a Luna on Ganeshkhind Road. Pawarsaheb was travelling in a car. He saw me and enquired with others accompanying him whether it was me who was riding the Luna. Pawarsaheb later told me that instead of Luna, I should be riding a sturdy vehicle. A few days later, I got a letter from Rahul Bajaj requesting me to come to their showroom and collect my Bajaj super," recalled Kakade. "In those days, the waiting period was more than 10 years. And could never imagine that I could own a Bajaj scooter.I must have paid Rs 8000 for it," said Kakade. Kakade, who last year donated his vehicle to a cycle museum, said, "For a good 25 years, I had no maintenance issue with the scooter. And the comfort level riding a Bajaj scooter was simply superior. No wonder I never felt it like disposing it off despite the vehicle having aged considerably." Dilip Pawar, who heads the Vishwakalyan Kamgar Sanghatana, the recognised union of the company, said in the initial phase Bajaj Auto had some 200-300 employees but as the scooter production was stepped up, owing to increasing demand, the workers strength had jumped to as much 16,000. "And the minimum wage of an ordinary worker has shot up to over Rs 65,000 per month from a measly sum of Rs 150 per month in the 60s," he said. After success in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Bajaj spread its wings to Chakan, Aurangabad and in Panthnagar. The union leader said Rahul Bajaj's relations with the employees were always cordial but he was also a tough taskmaster. "Discipline was at the top of his priorities. He didn't like latecomers. As a result, employees got used to his ways and put in their hardwork in a disciplined manner," he said. Unlike the unrest that several other industrial units in Pune faced, Bajaj had relatively smooth relations with its workforce and employees. But one dark spot was an incident in 1979, when clashes had led to the death of two workers and an outsider at the gates of the company. "The workers were protesting over signing of the annual wage agreement. It led to clashes at the company gate leading to police firing. Two workers and an outsider was killed at that time," recalled Pawar. The incident pained Rahul Bajaj no end. "He spoke about it a number of times in the company and outside, expressing his pain and shock. He said the incident was avoidable and should never have happened. It was the only black spot in the otherwise peaceful atmosphere with which the company functioned. It was a benchmark which the company had set in the industrial area of Pimpri-Chinchwad where protests had started to become common," Pawar said. Industrialist Vithal Maniyar, a childhood friend of Sharad Pawar, whose friendship with Rahul Bajaj is well-known, said, "Rahul Bajaj was a visionary. He laid lot of stress on research and development. And that exactly is the reason why the vehicles produced by Bajaj Auto found a pride of place in the hearts of the masses." Maniyar said he was witness to several meetings and conversations between Sharad Pawar and Rahul Bajaj, and the two used to talk about everything - industrialisation, economy, development and future growth of the country. "Rahul Bajaj knew the pulse of the nation. It was he who was instrumental in the rapid industrialisation of Pune which ultimately had a cascading effect on Maharashtra and the whole nation. He made Pune the automobile hub of India. Had he not pushed Bajaj Auto hard, we would not have seen the growth of industries the way it happened in the 70s and 80s," he said. Maniyar said Rahul Bajaj believed in maintaining industrial peace. "He would go all-out to ensure there was industrial peace. He avoided unnecessary confrontation. Because he strongly believed only industrial peace will lead to industrial growth and welfare of an ordinary worker," he said. At same time, Maniyar said, it didn't mean that he would go soft of quality. "There was no compromise on quality and disciplined behaviour. Though he loved to cordial relations, he despised anything that was not up to the mark, be it men, machinery or their performance," he said. Vinayak Chakre, a former union leader from Pimpri-Chinchwad, said Bajaj Auto was among the first batch of industrial units which were set up in Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial units. "It was in the first five year plan. The central government had declared its intention of industrialisation. And when Pimpri-Chinchwad MIDC was set up in late 50s, big industrial units started setting up shop. Bajaj, Ruston, Greaves, Formica were among the first batch of industries. Other bigwigs like Telco or Tata Motors came later. Bajaj outsmarted all as it scaled up production, increased manpower and even spread its wing to other cities. Bajaj led the sort of industrial revolution of Pune. From just a handful of industries in Pimpri-Chinchwad in the 60s to over 10,000 units until a few years ago, Pimpri-Chinchwad industrial belt had become the cynosure of all eyes in Maharashtra," he said. Bhimrao Londhe, a retired mechanic of Bajaj Auto, recalled his days on making of the scooter. At least 100-150 employees, said Londhe were tasked to churn out one scooter on the directives of Rahul Bajaj. "There was a meticulous process in place in making of a scooter. Rahul Bajaj wanted us to follow the process strictly and within a set deadline. As a result, on an average it took 17 seconds for us to come out a vehicle," he said. When a scooter production reached a certain mark, Bajaj would himself lead the celebrations by riding the scooter. "When we reached one lakh figure in 70s, he was thrilled. But when we reached the 10 lakh mark in 1984, he rewarded the workers with Rs 1200 each which was a big sum then," Londhe said. Vishwasrao Phalke, who retired as a worker after three decades of service, said, "Rahul Bajaj would spring a surprise by landing up in the vehicle shop area even past midnight. He was probably the only industrialist who lived right in the company premises. His sudden visits ensured that we were always on our toes and never lowered our guard. It ultimately paid rich dividends as the company made strides and salaries increased."
