Bajaj Just Said the Quiet Part Out Loud UPSHIFTONLINE.COM By: Upshift StaffPhotos: KTM When Bajaj Auto officially took over KTM, the motorcycle world braced for changes. Cost-cutting? Sure. Strategy shifts? Expected. But what few anticipated was Rajiv Bajaj publicly calling out years of corporate excess and mismanagement, in words most executives would never say out loud. “KTM’s problem was greed,” Bajaj told reporters in a recent interview. That’s not a vague corporate-speak press release. That’s a truth bomb. And for riders, enthusiasts, and KTM owners, it reads like someone finally said what they’ve been whispering behind the scenes for years. The Quiet Part Out Loud Bajaj didn’t sugarcoat it. KTM, a brand that built its reputation on lean, race-bred motorcycles, had become top-heavy. According to him, the company employed 4,000 people, but only 1,000 were actually building bikes, while the rest worked in administrative roles, marketing, or management. Years