From Bureaucracy to Business: Former IAS leaves job to lead a 2,90,000 crore company

 

 

Cracking a UPSC exam isn’t a cakewalk. Almost 10 lakh candidates apply each year, among which only 5 lakh actually sit for the examination. The examination is divided into 3 stages, viz., prelims, mains, and a final interview. Becoming an IAS officer is a dream come true moment for thousands of Indians.

However, you will be quite astonished to learn that people actually quit such prestigious jobs to start their own start-ups or businesses.

RC Bhargava is one such example. He just didn’t crack UPSC, but he was also the topper of his batch.

Currently, Mr. Bhargava is the chairman of Maruti Suzuki India. As of August 29th, the company has a market value of ₹2,90,000 crore and a share price of ₹9,622.30.

After his formal education at The Doon School, Bhargava graduated from Allahabad University with a Master of Science in Mathematics. He also completed a Master of Arts in Developmental Economics at Williams College in the US.

Bhargava joined Maruti in 1981 after a long career as an IAS officer. Prior to joining Maruti, he was the Director (Commercial) of Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL). He served as the Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of the Indian government from 1974 to 1977 as an IAS officer.

In addition, he served as Joint Secretary for the Cabinet Secretariat of the Government of India in 1977–1978.

RC Bhargava was awarded the Padma Bhushan in 2016 for his contribution to the field of public affairs.