Ajit Narain Haksar (11 January 1925– 19 May 2005), was the first Indian chairman of ITC Limited, and was voted the Chairman Emeritus of the company. He has received the 'Outstanding Industrialist Award' and the 'Udyog Rattan Award.'

Early life

Ajit Narain Haksar was born on January 11, 1925 in Gwailor to a Kashmiri

Kashmiri people

The Kashmiri people are a Dardic linguistic group living in Kashmir Valley in Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir and parts of the Pakistani territory of Azad Kashmir who speak the Kashmiri language...

 Hindu

Hindu

Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...

 family. He was educated at the Doon School and subsequently at Allahabad University

Allahabad University

Allahabad University , is a premier Central University located in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh, India. Its origins lie in the Muir Central College, named after Lt...

. He then did an MBA at Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School

Harvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...

.

ITC

Haksar joined ITC in 1948, and was made Marketing Director in 1966. By 1968, Haksar was made Deputy Chairman, and was then instated as chairman in 1969. He retired from ITC in 1983 after 34 years with the company, and was succeeded by his brother-in-law, Jagdish Narain Sapru

Jagdish Narain Sapru

Jagdish Narain Sapru , the grandson of eminent lawyer, political, and social leader Sir Tej Bahadur Sapru, was the former chairman of ITC Limited, BOC India, DIC India , Nicco Park, and the Indian Chamber of Commerce. He was also the president of the Tollygunge Club, a prestigious golf club in...

. Haksar was known as the chairman who first took ITC out of purely the tobacco industry

Tobacco industry

The tobacco industry comprises those persons and companies engaged in the growth, preparation for sale, shipment, advertisement, and distribution of tobacco and tobacco-related products. It is a global industry; tobacco can grow in any warm, moist environment, which means it can be farmed on all...

 and into hotels

ITC Welcomgroup Hotels, Palaces and Resorts

ITC Hotels is India's second largest hotel chain with over 100 hotels. Based out of Hotels Division Headquarters at the ITC Green Centre in Gurgaon, off New Delhi, ITC Hotels is also the exclusive franchisee of The Luxury Collection brand of Starwood Hotels and Resorts in India...

and paperboards.

Family life

Haksar is survived by his wife, two children and their spouses, and four grandchildren.