Dr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal
1 Jul 1923 - 1 Nov 2015 |
I still experience a father like bond with Late B M Munjal whom I had known since mid1990s. He had a special affection for me that I am unable to express – that warmth in his hand holding and his strong hands on my shoulder. That comforting feel and love, I have not experienced from anywhere else. I have a special place for him in my heart. I am sure many who have dealt with him have this feeling. He was the very embodiment of compassion. |
My close association with him became even closer when we were together in Monte Carlo in 2002. His family was there too. We had travelled together to Nice. The sumptuous lunch we had in an Indian restaurant in Nice, is still fresh in my memories and it is unforgettable. We met often on several occasions in Delhi and I have been with him at his then office in the most unpretentious corporate settings of the Hero Group of enterprises at Vasant Vihar, New Delhi.
He was a darling of the entrepreneurs around the world at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Celebrations in Monte Carlo. This event coincides with the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. He would be greeted by over fifty world business leaders with such warmth and regard in the lobby of the luxurious Hôtel de Paris on all the days of a week that we stayed at this hotel. He narrowly missed the World Entrepreneur title that year. Also, still fresh in my memory is the strictly vegetarian food that the Chef would prepare for us at the Le Louis XV Restaurant in that hotel.
Dr Munjal, often described as the King of the Road, is the venerated patriarch and visionary of the multibillion-dollar Hero Group of enterprises. The venerated patriarch and visionary of the Hero Group, Mr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, is a first-generation entrepreneur who started very small and through sheer hard work and perseverance made his two-wheeler venture the World’s No.1 Two-Wheeler company. His intervention at grassroot levels is evident in and around Dharuhera, near the Hero Honda plant. The group adopted numerous villages for integrated rural development such as education, drinking water, roads, streetlights, a proper drainage system, etc. Through vocational training scores of village women have been able to receive training resulting in gainful employment. The Raman Kant Munjal Foundation set up in memory of his beloved eldest son, under his stewardship, runs a very modern and well-equipped 100-bed hospital at Dharuhera.
The story of this Great Man and his three brothers is well captured in the book - The Making of Hero: Four Brothers, Two Wheels and a Revolution that Shaped India - written by his son and my friend Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal.
Dr Munjal passed away peacefully at the ripe age of 92. He led an active and simple life and God gave him the opportunity to do many deeds that created an impact in this country. The Munjal family is a role model for cohesiveness, congeniality and acting together for a purpose that creates an impact on humanity. I was fortunate to know him.
He was a darling of the entrepreneurs around the world at the World Entrepreneur of the Year Celebrations in Monte Carlo. This event coincides with the Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. He would be greeted by over fifty world business leaders with such warmth and regard in the lobby of the luxurious Hôtel de Paris on all the days of a week that we stayed at this hotel. He narrowly missed the World Entrepreneur title that year. Also, still fresh in my memory is the strictly vegetarian food that the Chef would prepare for us at the Le Louis XV Restaurant in that hotel.
Dr Munjal, often described as the King of the Road, is the venerated patriarch and visionary of the multibillion-dollar Hero Group of enterprises. The venerated patriarch and visionary of the Hero Group, Mr. Brijmohan Lall Munjal, is a first-generation entrepreneur who started very small and through sheer hard work and perseverance made his two-wheeler venture the World’s No.1 Two-Wheeler company. His intervention at grassroot levels is evident in and around Dharuhera, near the Hero Honda plant. The group adopted numerous villages for integrated rural development such as education, drinking water, roads, streetlights, a proper drainage system, etc. Through vocational training scores of village women have been able to receive training resulting in gainful employment. The Raman Kant Munjal Foundation set up in memory of his beloved eldest son, under his stewardship, runs a very modern and well-equipped 100-bed hospital at Dharuhera.
The story of this Great Man and his three brothers is well captured in the book - The Making of Hero: Four Brothers, Two Wheels and a Revolution that Shaped India - written by his son and my friend Mr. Sunil Kant Munjal.
Dr Munjal passed away peacefully at the ripe age of 92. He led an active and simple life and God gave him the opportunity to do many deeds that created an impact in this country. The Munjal family is a role model for cohesiveness, congeniality and acting together for a purpose that creates an impact on humanity. I was fortunate to know him.