JAGDISH KHATTAR

The bureaucrat turned executive, who steered Maruti’s successful second innings

- BOB RUPANI

On 26th April, 2021, Jagdish Khattar, the former managing director of Maruti Suzuki India passed away at the age of 78 due to a cardiac arrest. Originally Khattar was an Indian bureaucrat (IAS) and served in some important state and central positions and was even responsible for the setting up of Noida (New Okhla Industrial Development Authority), the planned satellite city located close to Delhi. Noida came into administrative existence in April 1976, and Jagdish Khattar was its first CEO. When he was asked to develop Noida, the area where it’s situated was basic farming land with no infrastructure, but today it’s considered to have the best housing infrastructure in India and the second most expensive real estate after Mumbai!