YOUTUBE CHANNEL
Y THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS go out to the family of Rudratej Singh, president and CEO of BMW Group India who passed away this morning. It’s terrible, terrible news that has shaken up the entire automotive industry, taking away one of its stars; a rare CEO with experience on two as well as four wheels.
Rudy was the first Indian to be appointed CEO of a big German car manufacturer when he took over last August from Vikram
MPawah, who had moved back to Australia. And by all accounts he was doing a good job of steering the ship in the right direction, aided by a slew of brand new cars and SUVs. He was still undergoing his induction in Munich when the new X7 and updated 7 Series were launched and then on, not a month went by when we did not meet at a launch or event. It began with the launch of the new 3 Series that was on a size and scale that we hadn’t seen in a very long time, especially not from a luxury car manufacturer. And the confidence he had in the 3 Series was not misplaced as three months later he received the Premium Car Award at the Indian Car of the Year.
A statement from BMW Group India said, “The cause behind the sudden and unexpected demise is yet to be ascertained. Our prayers are with his family and loved ones during this difficult period. His transformational vision and
and was often seen in a full three-piece. He was a huge golf enthusiast which kept him fit, loved his bikes, and at the ICOTY event we spent an hour at the bar talking about the R NineT he’d just taken delivery of, why he opted for the 7 Series over the X7 as his company car, and our shared love for watches.
That was the last time I met Rudy. We were to have caught up over dinner in Chennai on the 4th of March, a day prior to the launch of the new X1. But that got cancelled due to the fast developing Covid-19 situation which would end up in a nation-wide lockdown less than three weeks later. The last time I spoke to Rudy was a few weeks ago, to offer my condolences for the loss of BMW’s sales director, Mihir Dayal. And now Rudy is no more, gone too soon.
From all of us at GTO Publishing, I send our heartfelt prayers and condolences to Rudy’s family and his friends at BMW India; may god give them the strength to pull through these difficult times. Rest in Peace, my friend. ⌧