Vikram Kirloskar (1958-2022) was an Indian industrialist and Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor, a joint venture between the Indian conglomerate Kirloskar Group and Toyota Motor Corporation for the manufacture and sale of Toyota cars in India. As a pioneer of the Indian automotive industry, he was instrumental in bringing the Japanese firm Toyota Motor Corp to India in 1997. He is also the Chairman and Managing Director of Kirloskar Systems. On November 29, 2022, he died of a heart attack.
Wiki/Biography
Vikram Shreekant Kirloskar was born in 1958 (age 64 years; at time of death), and he hails from Bengaluru, Karnataka, India. He attended Lawrence School in Ooty, Tamil Nadu. He went on to study for a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA, his grandfather’s alma mater. After that, he received on-the-job training in various capacities in India and the US.
Family
Vikram Kirloskar is a fourth generation member of the Kirloskar Group founded in 1888 by Laxmanrao Kirloskar. The company was India’s first iron plow manufacturer in 1888. Since then, members of the Kirloskar family have contributed to India’s growth and industrialization.
Laxmanrao Kirloskar (left) with Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru
Kirloskar Family Chart showing names of family members with their ages (as of 2020)
Parents & Siblings
His father, Shreekant Kirloskar, is also an industrialist and a third-generation member of the Kirloskar Group. He is an only child.
Wife & Children
His wife, Geetanjali Kirloskar, is an advertising professional who heads her own firm Quadrant Communications as President. He also established the insurance services wing of Kirloskar Systems. He is the former chairman of Bengaluru-based Sakra World Hospital. The hospital started the hospital in 2013, in partnership with Toyota Tsusho, the trading arm of Toyota Group, and Secom Medical System, the medical arm of Japanese security company Secom. It is the first hospital in India to be jointly run by a Japanese and Indian company.
Vikram Kirloskar and Geetanjali Kirloskar
His daughter, Manasi Kirloskar, is the Executive Director of Kirloskar Systems. Later, he joined the board of directors of Toyota Motors. She is married to Noel Tata’s son, Neville Tata.
Vikram Kirloskar with his wife, Geetanjali Kirloskar, and daughter, Manasi Kirloskar
Relationships/Affairs
Before marriage, Vikram and Geetanjali dated for a while after meeting at a function. At the time, Geetanjali was 18 years old and studying at Pune University, while Vikram was 24 years old and had just returned to India after graduating from MIT. Recalling their first meeting, he said,
A mutual friend had a party. He had invited both of us and our family asked his parents to introduce us to each other. Vikram is from MIT; calm, smart and six years older. I was impressed by his charming style.”
After the party, Vikram offers to send Geetanjali home and she agrees, but instead, he takes her to his house. While talking about the same in an interview, he said,
Vikram took me to his house instead; his parents are fast asleep. The next morning, they were amazed that I was at their house and wondered if he had proposed. But we take our time. What ultimately worked was the fact that I wanted to study and work after marriage, and Vikram had the same expectations of his partner.”
Caste
Vikram Kirloskar belonged to the Maharashtrian family of Karhade Brahmin Laxmanrao Kirloskar, whose father, Kashinathpanth, was a Vedant-Pandit.
Career
In 1981, he started his career when he started working in the manufacturing and automobile industry. He began working in the family business after college, starting with Production Engineering. He is a trainee in manufacturing at Kirloskar Cummins in Pune. Early in his career, he designed and developed many processes and machine tools. In the late 1980s, he was instrumental in establishing import licensing for capital equipment while serving on the government’s Machine Tool Development Council. In 1997, the Kirloskar Group and Toyota Motor Corporation established the joint venture Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) with Vikram Kirloskar as its Vice Chairman. The venture is headquartered in Bidadi, Karnataka, near Bengaluru. In addition, he is also the Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts. Other sole proprietorships of the Kirloskar Group conglomerate of which Vikram Kirloskar was a director include Kirloskar Pneumatic, Denso Kirloskar Industries, Kirloskar Toyota Textile Machinery and Kirloskar Oil Engines. He is also a director of Kirloskar Proprietary Limited, Vikramgeet Investments And Holdings Pvt. Ltd, Global Innovation & Technology Alliance, Quadrant Communications Limited, Asara Sales And Investment Pvt. Ltd, Vsk Holdings Pvt. Ltd, and the CSEP Research Foundation. He is also the sole director of Toyota Handling and Engine Industries.
Death
On November 29, 2022, Vikram Kirloskar died of a heart attack. His death was announced by Toyota Kirloskar Motor saying,
We are deeply saddened to announce the passing of Mr. Vikram S. Kirloskar, Vice Chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor on November 29, 2022. In this time of sorrow, we ask everyone to pray for his repose. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
Facts/Trivia
- He is a Member of the Council of Education for India, the National Research Council – MIT, and the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). He served as the President of the Central Institute of Manufacturing Technology, Bengaluru, and the Confederation of Indian Industry from 2019 to 2020.
- He also served on the Indian Government Development Council for Automobiles and the National Council for Electric Mobility.
- He served as the Vice President of the Automotive Research Society of India and the President of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM).
- His interests include aero modeling, swimming, golf, tennis cooking, painting, sculpture, and Western and Indian classical music.
- He is a passionate wine connoisseur.
- He is a recipient of Karnataka’s Suvarna Award.
Categories: Biography
Source: SCHOOL TRANG DAI
