‘A Passionate Engineer’, this professional description epitomises the personality of Vikram Kirloskar . Life, more than business, is unpredictable and uncertain. Who could have thought that a meeting with him on Friday, November 25, at the event to unveil the Innova HyCross, the latest from Toyota Kirloskar Motors (TKM), would be the last.
Vikram Kirloskar, the vice-chairman of the joint venture between the world’s second largest carmaker Toyota, and the Kirloskar Group, has been the face of the joint venture which is into its 25 years of operations. The joint venture is also the first major project that led Karnataka’s journey as a global auto industry manufacturing hub.
An alumnus of the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the fourth generation member of Kirloskar Family, had a passion for a well-balanced lifestyle. A corner in the lawn of his residence is dedicated for barbeque meets with friends and fellow industrialists. People mattered for him the most. His gentle personality, with the smile and a throaty voice, will always remain in the minds and hearts of many.
Kirloskar looked beyond the frontiers of the business of profit and loss balance sheets. He was a strong proponent of sustainability across the value chain, Kirloskar’s last Twitter post sharing a World Economic Forum article on key actions businesses can take to tackle climate change reads ‘Tackling #climatechange is crucial. It is a critical strategic requirement that businesses must address at all cost, as a collective responsibility.’ It’s not surprising that Toyota Kirloskar Motor has achieved a high level of sustainability in its operations.
Vikram Kirloskar was earlier a President of the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII). Last year he was awarded the IIM (Indian Institute of Metals) -JRD Tata Award for 2020. The award was conferred on him for his service to the country through his ‘Excellence in Corporate Leadership in Metallurgical Industries’.
He also led Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) as its President from 2013-14 to 2014-15
An ardent optimist, Kirloskar was also prophetic. He told ETAuto in August, “we (Indian auto industry) are still not at the real peak, but I hope we’ll reach the peak soon, and we’ll cross the peak”. In September the Indian passenger vehicle industry clocked its highest- ever wholesale volumes.
As an industrialist, Kirloskar never hesitated to speak his mind on topics beyond his company. As the Keynote Speaker at ETAuto’s Auto Tech Summit in June, Kirloskar had said that though India has the potential it is not doing well on a global scale in manufacturing. He highlighted how the newcomers and the startups in the auto industry are making the traditional players step up their game in some areas.
Gone too early at 64, the indelible impression Kirloskar left on the various avenues of business and life will live beyond him. He will be deeply missed by many people in diverse sectors. Our deepest condolences to the Kirloskar family, and all associated with him professionally.
Also Watch: