Hero Group Founder, Brijmohan Lal, Died At 92. Here’s Why We Respect The Visionary Man.

Ethics, respect, and relationships are the building blocks of any business ~ Brijmohan Lall Munjal

India, every second cycle is a Hero cycle and the company manufactures around 20,000 cycles every day.

But not many people know the man behind it. Some people become entrepreneurs because they envision things other than the stereotypes. They see things with an unprecedented simplicity. And one such man was Brijmohan Lall Munjal. He is a first generation entrepreneur who had humble beginnings and through sheer hard work, perseverance and challenging adversities made it to the top gracefully.

Brijmohan Munjal died at the age of 92 in New Delhi on 1 November 2015.

 

Who was Brijmohan Lall Munjal?

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He was an Indian businessman, founder and the chairperson of the Hero Motocorp – the company of the popular Hero range of motorcycles and scooters. He was born at Kamalia district (now in Pakistan) in the year 1923. He belonged to a simple middle-class family.

He was truly an icon. While the nation mourns over his death, here are some lesser known facts about him:

 

1. He never went to college

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He didn’t receive any formal education on how to run a business and still the way his business flourished in India and worldwide is really praiseworthy.

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2. He started making bicycles before securing a license

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– In 1944, Brij Mohan Munjal was working in an Army ordinance factory in Kamalia (now in Pakistan). He was barely 20 years old.

– When partition appeared imminent, Brijmohan along with his brothers moved to Amritsar and began supplying components to cycle manufacturers in and around the city. Post partition, they shifted to Ludhiana.

– By the early 1950s, the Munjal brothers were supplying bicycle components throughout India.

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3. In 1956, the Punjab govt. announced the issue of 12 new industrial licenses to make bicycles in Ludhiana. The Munjal brothers took this opportunity

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The Munjals set up Hero Cycles. The company was registered as a ‘large-scale industrial unit’ and it initially produced 7,500 units per year.

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4. His strong leadership soon gave their well-established competitors such as Raleigh, Hind Cycles, and Atlas Cycles a run for their money

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He ensured that their product was comparatively cheaper, sturdier and more reliable. He believed in giving his customers value for their money.

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5. In 1979, the company reached the 1 million production mark and, in 1986, it beat the 2nd largest American cycle companies of the era – Huffy and Murray

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Also, by the end of the year 2000, Hero was earning 15% of its sales turnover from exports.

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6. He featured in Forbes richest list

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He ranked number 27 on Forbes Asia’s India Rich List with a net worth of 3.3 million dollars and 31 on Forbes India’s Richest list in the year 2008.

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7. He was a committed philanthropist and a people’s person

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Before being called the founder of HeroCorp, he was known as a committed philanthropist. He established numerous medical and educational institutions. Some of the imminent ones are Ludhiana Stock Exchange, Ludhiana Aviation Club, Ludhiana Management Association and Dayanand Medical College & Hospital.

He maintained strong relations with Hero’s vendors, dealers, workers and attended their family weddings and used to lend a helping hand during any crisis.

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8. But most importantly, he was an extraordinary human being

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Rahul Bajaj, chairman of the Bajaj Group, revered Munjal because of his old-world values and ethics.

”Not that I am deriding this (the present generation) but I have always called Mr. Munjal a guru, not because he is older to me but because of his wisdom and common sense. Did he say that we are ‘still friends’? No question of ‘still’. We are friends. And he is the best example of a chairman in any auto company in India.”

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9. He won over 10 national and international awards, including the Padma Bhushan, the third highest civilian award of India

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He was conferred with the Padma Bhushan in 2005 in recognition of his contribution in the field of trade and industry. Other than this, he has also received awards like ‘Lifetime Achievement’.

He died yesterday after being admitted to the hospital for past 1 month in New Delhi.

The country will forever be indebted to him because of his contributions. To the man who taught us to ‘pedal ahead’, may his soul rest in peace.

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