 "Brijmohan Lall Munjal")
Expressing deep sadness over the passing away of Hero MotoCorp patriarch Brijmohan Lall Munjal, India Inc today said his death was a big loss to the industry and has left a void which would be 'impossible' to fill.
Munjal, known as the doyen of Indian two-wheeler industry, passed away Sunday evening after a brief illness. He was 92.
"He was one of the doyens of Indian industry and his passing away has left a void, which would be impossible to fill," CII President Sumit Mazumder said.
Industry body Assocham termed Munjal's demise as a "big loss to India Inc".
Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) President Vinod Dasari said Munjal's passing away comes as a "massive loss" to the entire automotive fraternity.
"Dr Brijmohan Lall was one of the flagbearers of the Indian automotive industry and is hugely responsible for the reputation the Indian two-wheeler industry enjoys globally today," Dasari said.
Lall was a father figure to the automotive industry in India and an extra-ordinary leader, who showed the entire industry how to build a winning company, he added.
Dasari further said: "He was a visionary and has played an unprecedented role in cementing India's place on the global automotive scenario."
PHD Chamber President Alok B Shriram described him as the man of partnership, who built his business from scrap, taking it to the Himalayan scale in the automobile sector.
"Munjal had an exclusivity to build relations with the spirit of partnership that endeared him to all relevant stakeholders.
"It is because of this virtue that he could rise and retain his hegemony not only in his individual businesses but also drew enormous respect from who so ever he came in contact with," Shriram pointed out.
Munjal had retired from active role and become Chairman Emeritus of the over USD 4-billion group earlier this year and remained on the board of the company as non-executive member.
He led the Hero group to form a joint venture with Japan's Honda in 1984, the joint venture -- Hero Honda, went on to become the world's single-largest motorcycle maker. The partnership ended in 2011.
Hero Group, which officially came into existence in 1956, had started its activities in the early 1940s as a bicycle-maker run by the four Munjal brothers.
Munjal was born in 1923 at Kamalia in present-day Pakistan. After India's independence, the Munjal brothers started a small business of manufacturing bicycle components in Ludhiana and went on to build one of the largest business groups in the country.
He was conferred with the 'Padma Bhushan' in 2005 in recognition of his contribution to the field of trade and industry.
