Toyota Kirloskar Motor Vice Chairman Vikram Kirloskar passes away at 64

Vikram Kirloskar, a pioneer of India's automotive industry, played a key role in bringing Japan's Toyota Motor Corp to India in the late 1990s

Vikram S Kirloskar, the vice chairman of Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pvt Ltd, passed away on Tuesday at the age of 64, according to a company statement.
 

The statement did not mention what caused his death, but initial reports said he suffered a massive heart attack.
 

In a brief statement, Toyota India said, “We are extremely saddened to inform the untimely demise of Vikram S Kirloskar, vice chairman, Toyota Kirloskar Motor on November 29, 2022. At this time of grief, we request everyone to pray that his soul rests in peace. We extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends.”
 

The funeral will be organized at the Hebbal Crematorium in Bengaluru at 1 pm on Wednesday.

Known in the industry as a "Passionate Engineer", which is also his LinkedIn profile's description, Kirloskar played a key role in partnering with Toyota and bringing it to India. He was also responsible for establishing the auto manufacturing industry in Karnataka. For this, he was awarded the "Suvarna Karnataka" award by the state government.

Kirloskar served in the government's Development Council for Machine Tools in the 1980s and was involved in opening import licensing for capital equipment. He was also the president of Bangalore's Central Manufacturing Institute. During 2013-15, he served as president of the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers. 

Between 2019 and 2020, he held the position of president at the Confederation of Indian Industry. He received an undergraduate degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

He was also conferred with the Indian Institute of Metals (IIM) JRD Tata Award 2020 for his excellence in corporate leadership in Metallurgical Industries.

He was also a key supporter of tackling climate change. Under his aegis, Toyota Kirloskar set the target of carbon neutrality by 2035 in India. Just days before his death, Kirloskar on November 25 unveiled Innova Hycross, a hybrid version of Toyota Innova. 

On November 28, he tweeted, "Tackling #climatechange is crucial. It is a critical strategic requirement that businesses must address at all costs, as a collective responsibility."

He is survived by his wife Geetanjali Kirloskar and daughter Manasi Kirloskar.