RC Bhargava, chairman of the country’s leading car manufacturer Maruti Suzuki India, has been awarded the country’s third highest civilian award – the Padma Bhushan – for public relations by the Indian government.

It may be recollected that in the past Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Motors received the Padma Vibhushan and Padma Bhushan awards for promoting trade and industry, while Rahul Bajaj of Bajaj Auto won the Padma Bhushan award.

Eighty-one-year-old Bhargava has been closely associated with Maruti Suzuki since the 1980s, when Maruti Udyog was in a fledgling stage and establishing its footprint in the mass market segment with the people’s car, the Maruti 800. Initially as managing director and then CEO, chairman Bhargava has played a pivotal role in benchmarking product quality and starting exports of locally manufactured car models that enabled India to evolve as a manufacturing hub for small cars.

Speaking to Autocar Professional, Bhargava says he feels a sense of pride and happiness at being recognised by his own government and being bestowed the Padma Bhushan award in his individual capacity.

On being asked about how his relationship with Maruti Suzuki has contributed towards this innings of his life, he remarks that the company’s management would be in a better position to answer that query. He, however, maintains that Maruti works on the basis of collective effort and is not a one-man show; all its employees have together contributed towards its growth story. “Maruti Suzuki has done its best for building the automotive and auto component industry in India and will strive to do its best for the industry again.”

Interestingly, who better than Bhargava to co-author a book on Maruti? ‘The Maruti story: how a PSU put the country on wheels’, which was launched in 2010, describes the formative years and the growth story of the carmaker in India, how it developed the people’s car Maruti 800 that changed the Indian automotive landscape. Also how Suzuki Motor Corp of Japan increased its stake in Maruti Udyog from the initial 40 percent to become the majority stakeholder. 

“We feel proud that an industry veteran has been recognised in his individual capacity,” says Vishnu Mathur, director general of industry body SIAM, congratulating Bhargava.

Bhargava has also been awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver by the Emperor of Japan for his contribution towards promoting economic and bilateral relations between India and Japan in addition to a slew of other industry awards.