In Memoriam: Surendra Mohan Hajela

(l-r) Bhagwatilal Jain, GMV Chairman Angelo Martini and Surendra Mohan Hajela

Surendra Mohan Hajela, a highly regarded vertical-transportation (VT) industry veteran in India, passed away on June 23 at age 85. Known by those in the VT industry as “Hajelaji” or “Hajela Sir,” Hajela launched companies including Lift Systems India Pvt. Ltd. and Solus Software & Systems India Pvt. Ltd. He is credited with introducing and growing hydraulic elevator systems in India and being instrumental in the collaboration between Bharat Bijlee and Schindler. “He dealt with all the leading VT companies and was considered instrumental in getting brands like Fermator and GMV to India decades ago,” former business partner Bhagwatilal Jain says. Hajela enjoyed quite an active life until 2016-2017, when he suffered a stroke and retired to Pune, India. ELEVATOR WORLD India, which profiles Hajela in its 3rd Quarter 2022 issue, says, “He left his footprints on the elevator industry for eternity.”

Get more of Elevator World. Sign up for our free e-newsletter.

Please enter a valid email address.
Something went wrong. Please check your entries and try again.

CAUTION URGED AFTER FATAL ESCALATOR FALL IN CANADA

Caution Urged After Fatal Escalator Fall in Canada

One of the new elevators; image courtesy of MTA

Modern Elevator Provides Two ADA Units for Brooklyn Station

AZERBAIJANI-CHINESE VT FACTORY TO LAUNCH IN AZERBAIJAN

Azerbaijani-Chinese VT Factory in Azerbaijan

Elevators were installed in wooden shafts using a certified, high-efficiency assembly method; image courtesy of Schindler.

Schindler Provides 32 Elevators for New Berlin Schools

Biodiverse plan for 1 Silk Street; image courtesy of SOM

1980s London Buildings to Make Way for New Tower Plan

image courtesy of KONE

KONE on CDP 2024 Supplier Engagement A List

Godwin

Godwin Joins CEDES as a Key Account Manager

image courtesy of North Carolina Commissioner of Labor Luke Farley

MEGA Bill Passed in North Carolina