Chennai: Ashok Leyland’s first Indian MD and chairman-emeritus R J Shahaney died in Chennai Tuesday after a brief illness.
A statement from Ashok Leyland said Shahaney was the first Indian managing director of the company and he served in that capacity from 1978 till 1998 and subsequently as Chairman until 2010.
He was a visionary architect who laid the strong foundation in manufacturing, engineering and technology for the company. In an era when AL, being a foreign company, faced challenges for growth, he had the courage to embark
on an expansion plan that was to grow the company manifold. Hosur, Alwar and Bhandara plants were his creations, it said.
He had the innate ability to sense the futuristic technology trends in the country and took some pioneering actions years ahead, to place Ashok Leyland in a pole position.
Through his singular efforts he forged technology alliances for engine, gearbox, cabin as well as development efforts for multi-axle and defence vehicles. He set the bar of performance high and pushed all his colleagues relentlessly for perfection, which he led by example through sheer diligence and application.
He had been the president of SIAM and AIEI (CII) and used every forum and occasion to take up the cause of the commercial vehicle industry with government and industry bodies, earning the respect of his peers in business and industry. He went on to serve as chairman of IndusInd Bank.
After his tenure in AL, he led Ashok Leyland Project Services and was involved in many Hinduja Group activities such as Hinduja National Power. Paying rich tributes, chairman Dheeraj Hinduja said “we mourn the loss of a great leader, ally and friend.”
Shahaney was with Ashok Leyland and the group for over three decades, leading the company to where we were today. He said “under his able leadership, we expanded our footprint and manufacturing capacity. Even after his retirement, he was always available to share his wisdom and was a personal friend of the Hinduja family.”
A towering personality, he will be sorely missed by a generation of professionals who interacted with him, he added.