Brijmohan Lall Munjal
Brijmohan Lall Munjal | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Kamalia, undivided India (now Punjab, Pakistan) |
| Died | November 1, 2015 (aged 92) |
| Occupation(s) | Businessman, industrialist |
| Known for | Founder of the Hero Group |
Brijmohan Lall Munjal (1 July 1923 – 1 November 2015) was a prominent Indian businessman and the originator of the Hero Group.
Early life
Born on 1 July 1923 in Kamalia, which was part of undivided India and is now located in Punjab, Pakistan, Munjal moved to Amritsar at the age of 20 in 1944, accompanied by his three brothers: Dayanand, Satyanand, and Om Prakash. He commenced his professional journey at the Indian Ordnance Factories.
Merchant and industrialist
Following their relocation to Amritsar, Munjal and his siblings initiated a business focused on bicycle components before shifting operations to Ludhiana. In 1954, he established Hero Cycles Limited, initially manufacturing bicycle forks and subsequently expanding to other parts such as handles.
The Punjab government issued a license for bicycle manufacturing in 1956. Supported by Rs 6 lakh from the government along with their own investment, Hero Cycles started large-scale production with an annual output capacity of 7,500 bicycles. By 1975, it had become the largest bicycle manufacturer in India and, in 1986, was recognized by the Guinness World Records as the world's biggest producer of bicycles.
Hero Honda
Building on the success in the bicycle sector, Munjal founded Hero Majestic Company to manufacture scooters and mopeds. In 1984, he formed a partnership with Japan's Honda, establishing a manufacturing facility in Dharuhera, Haryana. The first motorcycle from this collaboration, the Hero Honda CD 100, was launched on 13 April 1985. By 2002, Hero Honda had sold approximately 8.6 million motorcycles and achieved a daily production rate of 16,000 units.
Hero MotoCorp
In August 2011, after concluding its joint venture with Honda Motors, the company rebranded itself as Hero MotoCorp. The Hero Group continued paying royalties to Honda for using the Hero Honda brand until 2013. This strategic change allowed the company to export to regions where Honda already had a presence but where previous joint venture arrangements limited sales.
Personal life
Brijmohan Munjal was married to Santosh and fathered four sons—including Pawan Munjal and Sunil Kant Munjal—as well as a daughter. He died on 1 November 2015.
Awards
In recognition of his industrial and commercial achievements, Brijmohan Lal Munjal was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2005. His other accolades include:
- Lifetime Contribution Award from the All India Management Association in 2011
- Forbes India Leadership Award for Lifetime Achievement in 2014