– “A nation which does not honour its heroes will not long endure” – Abraham Lincoln
Hargovind Bajaj, Founder of the Bajaj Group of Industries, breathed his last at the age of 96 recently. A visionary industrialist, a prominent figure in the industrial landscape of Central India, he was a doyen and visionary for the cause of Vidarbha’s industrial development.
As a token of that honour, and recognizing his efforts, VED Council Founder President, Govind Daga, said, “He was a pioneer of the industrialisation of Vidarbha which he initiated nearly 8 decades ago. He pushed relentlessly for change of Govt. policies to give a better deal for local industry. He always encouraged new ideas and provided guidance based on his vast experience.”
Devendra Parekh, President, VED Council, recalled nostalgically, “VED has had a long and rich experience and interaction with Bajaj. His constant endeavour was to support those who spoke, including VED Council, for the betterment of society at the industrial and societal levels.”
Bajaj was not just a businessman but a stalwart of his time, dedicated to the upliftment of the Vidarbha region. He was also the founding President of the Vidarbha Industries Association and played a pivotal role in promoting industrial growth in the region. His contribution was immense and invaluable not only for industrialisation but for creating a vast vision for entrepreneurs who wished to establish themselves.
Bajaj Steel Industries Limited (Bajaj), Nagpur, India, was established in 1961, by Gangabisenji Bajaj, which was later run by his son, Hargovind, a public limited company, with a world-class engineering setup in its various plants situated in and around Nagpur.
Bajaj ramified his work into several areas, but the most important feather in his cap is that Bajaj became a pioneer in producing machineries for all cotton ginning technologies i.e. Double Roller, Saw Gin & Rotobar, all Pressing technologies i.e. Down Packing, Up Packing & Horizontal Packing, as well as Seed Cleaning, Delinting & Decorticating, apart from general engineering fabrication, machining, intelligent electrical panel manufacturing and various other engineering activities. Today it is one of the biggest players in the world in the cotton ginning arena. The company is active in the fields of engineering, cotton, plastics and various other activities and on a high growth trajectory while also adding various items to its fold consistently.
The company has been a pioneer in double roller cotton ginning technology with the largest market share in the segment. The company has grown rapidly and now expanded its manufacturing, fabrication and assembly facilities manifold. Earlier, the company had its only factory at Imambada Nagpur, now it has four major manufacturing facilities. The company has recently entered into technical collaboration for manufacturing of saw gin, rotobar gin and other equipment earlier manufactured by Continental Eagle Corporation, USA to manufacture them in India.
The Bajaj family, including his sons Rohit and Sunil Bajaj, today bear the legacy of their father’s industrious spirit.
