Meet man who was UPSC topper, left IAS post after several years to lead Rs 38381 crore company, he is...

Becoming an IAS officer is a cherished goal for many, requiring intense dedication to succeed in the UPSC CSE exam, which is divided into three stages: prelims, mains, and the interview. Despite the prestige of this career, some civil servants choose to leave it behind to pursue leadership roles in the corporate world. One notable example is RC Bhargava, who is now the chairman of Maruti Suzuki India.

Bhargava, a former Indian Administrative Services (IAS) officer, was a topper in his batch, having cleared the UPSC exam in 1956. He began his journey with Maruti in 1981 as Director of Marketing and has since held various positions within the company. He has been leading Maruti Suzuki, India’s largest automobile manufacturer, as its chairman since 2007. As of August 29, the company boasts a market capitalization of Rs 2,90,000 crore, with its share price standing at Rs 9,622.30 on Tuesday.

Bhargava's academic background includes a Master of Sciences in Mathematics from Allahabad University and a Master of Arts in Developmental Economics from Williams College, USA. He completed his schooling at The Doon School.

Before joining Maruti, Bhargava had a distinguished career as an IAS officer. He served as Director (Commercial) at Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) and held key positions in the government, including Joint Secretary of the Ministry of Energy from 1974 to 1977 and Joint Secretary of the Cabinet Secretariat from 1977 to 1978. In recognition of his contributions, Bhargava was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian honor, in 2016.