Vikram Kirloskar: The Vice Chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor has been making the headlines recently but all for unfortunate reasons. The Indian Businessman has succumbed to cardiac arrest which has been the prime cause of his untimely death. He was just 64. His unexpected and sudden passing away has shocked nearly all associates and concerned persons in the world of business. He was the fourth generation of the Kirloskar family and is outlived by his wife and daughter. He was a prominent factor behind the foundation and success of the Toyota Kirloskar Enterprise post-1997.
His contribution to the company and the world of entrepreneurs is unmatched. In the following article, you shall find all the details and information pertaining to his Biography, Career, Professional and Personal Life, Networth, and More of Vikram Kirloskar.
Vikram Kirloskar Biography
Son of a prominent industrialist, Shreekant Kirloskar and the Vice Chairman breathed his last on Tuesday Morning, 29 November 2022. He was only 64 years old and died unexpectedly due to a heart attack. It was entirely shocking for his peers. His contribution to the Toyota Kirloskar Motors and its existence is exceptional. Toyota Motor Corporation was a joint venture of the Kirloskar which is presently being managed by the Fourth Generation. The group comprises cousins who are the great-grandchildren of Laxmanrao Kirloskar who established the Conglomerate which is the leading manufacturer of pumps and valves in India.
Vikram was a Mechanical Engineer who joined the family business just like his other cousins. He played a very prominent role in bringing Toyota Motors, which is a Japanese venture, to India. The businessman resided in Bangalore along with his wife, Geetanjali and daughter, Manasi.
Vikram Kirloskar: Quick Facts
| Name of the Personality | Vikram Shreekant Kirloskar |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Position | Vice Chairman: Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts Chairman and Managing Director: Kirloskar Systems Director: Kirloskar Brother, Kirloskar Pneumatic, and Kirloskar Oil Engines Member: Education Council for India of MIT and National Council of Confederation of Indian Industry |
| Associations | Kirloskar Group |
| Educational Background | Mechanical Engineering |
| Date of Birth | 1958 |
| Age | 64 |
| Date of Death | 29 November 2022 |
| Cause of Death | Cardiac Arrest |
| Hometown | Bangalore, Karnataka, India |
| Parent | Shreekant Kirloskar |
| Great Grandparent | Laxmanrao Kirloskar |
| Wife | Geetanjali Kirloskar |
| Daughter | Manasi Kirloskar (Married to Neville Tata, Son of Noel Tata) |
Early Life and Ancestry
Not much is known about the childhood of Vikram Kirloskar in particular. He was born in the year 1958 to one of the leading Industrialists in India, Shreekant. His great-grandfather, Laxmanrao Kirloskar established the Kirloskar Group which was India’s leading maker of pumps and valves. Additionally, the industry was the first one to manufacture an iron plough in India. Moreover, the enterprise was one of the prominent suppliers for India in the Arihant Nuclear Submarine program. Vikram’s father, Shreekant played a major role in the expansion of the industry. Furthermore, his ancestors have largely contributed to the industrialisation and growth of India as a nation. His family is Maharashtrian per origin and they are Hindi Bhramins as far as race is concerned. Vikram belonged to the fourth generation of the Kirloskar family.
Recently, the Indian Businessman, Anand Mahindra took to Twitter to mourn him, revealing that they were childhood friends from the days of school. Vikram also had close professional relations with Rahul Bajaj and family relationships with the Tata family of India.
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Educational Background of Vikram Shreekant Kirloskar
Vikram hails from Bangalore but he pursued his early education in the Tamil Nadu town of Ooty. His schooling was completed at the Lawrence School in the town. Post that, he flew to Cambridge in order to get admitted to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT, same as his grandfather, Shantanurao Laxmanrao Kirloskar. He graduated with Mechanical Engineering Course. He further joined a few training programs and participated in other relevant activities in order to gain a better perspective of the world. He returned to India very soon after he completed his education to settle and carry forward the family ventures.
Vikram S Kirloskar Professional Career and Net Worth
Kirloskar instantly joined the family group when he returned to India. His first professional project started in the year 1981 when he joined the Kirloskar Cummins in Pune as a trainee. He spent his time in the development and design of the machinery tools. Post that, he concentrated on the import for Government Development Council. His major step towards the establishment of Toyota Kirloskar Motors was in 1997 when he strived to bring the company to India. He and his team successfully did so and laid the foundations of the venture.
Vikram served as the Vice Chairman of the joint initiative of Toyota and Kirloskar Group, known as Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts. Additionally, for Kirloskar Systems, he served as the Chairman and Managing Director. He was Director at Kirloskar Brothers, Kirloskar Pneumatic, and Kirloskar Oil Engines. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology included him as a member of their Education Council for India. The National Council of Confederation of Indian Industry also had Vikram as one of their prominent members.
Toyota recently advised its hydrogen fuel car to the Road Minister of India, Nitin Gadkari. Kirloskar profoundly believed in sustainability and for a very long time, he was drawing his concentration towards alternative fuels and technology while the entire world was fixating on electric vehicles. He along with his ventures tried to support local vendors as much as possible. He focused on reducing emissions and delivering a reliable product. He developed a perspective balance in terms of technology as he entirely believed that new technologies develop in the spur of the moment but if India was really to walk towards the path of Atmanirbhar Bharat, everyone must pick up choices that were the actual fit for India. He envisaged sustainable transportation for India and his latest projects radiate a spec of his vision.
As per the information available publically, he holds 5 shares of corporate shareholdings. His net worth nearly amounts to Rs. 10.1 Crores.
Family and Wife
Vikram is outlived by his wife, Geetanjali and daughter, Manasi. Geetanjali established the insurance service aspects of the Kirloskar Systems. She is also the chairperson of the Sakra World Hospitals in Bangalore. They have a daughter named Manasi who is presently serving as a Member of the Board of Toyota Kirloskar Motors. She was the Executive Director of the Kirloskar Systems. Manasi is married to the son of Indian Businessman Noel Tata, Neville Tata. The couple together has a daughter and a son. Vikram was the grandfather of the kids. He also has a sibling, Gautam Kirloskar. His extended paternal family includes other Indian Businessmen such as Sanjay, Atul, and Rahul Kirloskar.
Death of Vikram Kirloskar
Vikram Kirloskar was a man of big dreams, lucid perceptions, and varied interests. Even though his career shows the least signs of diversification, he concentrated towards sustainability, education, development, design, local support, reliability, and the balance of Indian trades. He had a keen interest in classical music, Western and Indian. He took most of his spare time to consume it in cooking, golfing, aero modelling, sculpture, painting, tennis, and swimming. Unfortunately, his early demise on Tuesday morning, 29 November 2022, has shattered a lot of people. The prime cause of his death was Cardiac Arrest. He breathed his last in his hometown, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
