At age 60, Jagdish Khattar is Japanese automobile giant Suzuki's man of the Indian moment and is heading the bullish Maruti Udyog in its most crucial phase of expansion. A Bachelor in Arts (with Honours) from the prestigious St Stephen's College of Delhi University, Khattar has held the power steering of bureaucracy close to 40 years now. And, in his drive from one high to another, he has taken smooth turns from the tea sector to cement, transport, steel and now the automobile segment of Indian economy.

As India's most heady tea man for six years, his acumen was put to test and flavoured with fame, first as Director of the Tea Board of India, London (1979-1983) and then as Tea Board Chairman, Ministry of Commerce (1983-1984). He, however, learnt the actual twists and turns of administration in the best honing ground for IAS officers, Uttar Pradesh, where he served in various capacities for 14 years and emerged with answers to almost all problems that could only be imagined in the more oiled establishments like Maruti Udyog. Not that his latest assignment has been a bed of roses. But his plus point at Maruti has been the close quarters at which he has studied and ironed out the problems the company has faced from time to time. He joined Maruti in July 1993 as Director (Marketing), was appointed second Managing Director in 1999 and was nominated by GoI and appointed as Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer on August 18, 1999. Pursuant to the revised joint venture agreement, Khattar resigned and was re-appointed as Managing Director nominated by Suzuki on May 30, 2002. His single most diligent gift to his company has been his untiring efforts to bring the Government and Suzuki to the negotiating table after the former decided to offload stakes. In popular perception, his assets have been rare accessibility and a down to earth approach.

As a former Commerce Minister once vouched, Khattar never ever lobbied for a plum assignment. Fellow bureaucrats say he has earned respect by giving an equal measure of it. He is known to bow with namaste to his seniors and accords enough importance to fellow workers. That he is the toast of Indian Capital's high-profile parties talks of his business sociability as much as it does about charms and love for life. But that aspect of his personality has never shadowed the steel in his spine and the bywords of his brand of work culture hardwork, analyses, assessment and firm pushiness in furthering his convictions. As head of Maruti today, Khattar and his company will certainly be in talk in top gear for a long time to come.