Founding Chairman of Maruti, V Krishnamurthy, passes away at 97
V Krishnamurthy, the founding Chairman of Maruti (now Maruti Suzuki) passed away on Sunday, June 26 at the age of 97.
His home base was Chennai. In 1981, after the government established Maruti Udyog, Dr Krishnamurthy was named vice-chairman and managing director of the business. He established Maruti and ushered in the modern age of the Indian automobile industry, fundamentally changing it with the release of the Maruti 800.
After that, he went on to become the Chairman of SAIL (Steel Authority of India Limited) and transformed the company from a failing business to reorganising the entire organization into a leader in the sector. These accomplishments earned Dr Krishnamurthy a reputation as the "Turnaround Man".
He was raised in the ranks of the Madras Electricity Board after graduating with a diploma in electrical engineering. He was born in Karuveli, Tamil Nadu, and began his remarkable career as a technician on the airfields during World War II.
He was assigned to the Planning Commission's Power Projects Committee in 1954 after earning the respect of then Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru. Later, at BHEL, he assisted in preventing the company's impending collapse.
He was also the recipient of the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan and Padma Vibhushan awards. He was also bestowed with the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun, which is the highest awarded to foreigners by the Japanese government.
His later years were spent in Chennai where he served in an advising capacity for the family business UCAL Fuel Systems.
