Tragic Coincidence: Two fitness-loving tech leaders killed on Mumbai roads within a year

The unfortunate death of former Intel India head Avtar Saini this week is reminiscent of a similar event last year when Rajalakshmi Vijay, the then CEO of a technology firm, lost her life in a morning jog accident after being struck by a speeding SUV in the Worli area of south Mumbai. Rajalakshmi Vijay was the CEO of Altruist BPO. She was hit by a speeding car during her morning walk on the Worli seaface promenade in March last year.

Altruist BPO in a LinkedIn post had said: “She was a visionary, filled with boundless passion and energy to fulfill her goals, both personal and professional. She grew Altruist BPO in a remarkably short span of time. She was a fitness enthusiast and a perfectionist with a great talent for numbers. We are determined to keep her vision and goals as our lighthouse, and business will go on. We thank Rajalakshmi (Raji) Vijay for everything.”

Rajalakshmi Vijay was a regular marathon runner and was a chartered accountant. She had served in many companies, including Airtel, Flipkart and Tata Motors. Writing about her preparation for the Tata Marathon, she had written this on social media: “I have added life to my days, I have added friends to my life. I have added the booster shot to my work.
I wake up yet another day, to run, to live life.”

Avtar Saini death

Earlier this week, Avtar Saini, the former head of Intel India, tragically passed away following a collision with a speeding cab while cycling in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra. The incident took place on Palm Beach Road in the Nerul area. Saini, aged 68, was cycling with others when the cab, traveling at high speed, struck his bicycle from behind. A resident of suburban Chembur, Mumbai, Saini was celebrated for his contributions to Intel’s 386 and 486 microprocessors, as well as his leadership in the development of the Pentium processor.

Did you know Avtar Saini, the ex-Intel India head killed while cycling, held 7 patents in chip design?

Avtar Saini had a distinguished career at Intel from 1982 to 2004, during which he played a crucial role in the design of several processors, including the Intel 386, Intel 486, and Pentium. He was also instrumental in establishing Intel’s R&D center in India. Saini earned his engineering degree from the University of Mumbai in 1980 and later pursued a master’s degree at the University of Minnesota before joining Intel in 1982. With 22 years at the chipmaker, he held various roles before moving to other organizations and eventually working as a consultant for tech companies.

Notably, Saini holds seven patents related to microprocessor design and is recognized for his leadership in the development of the Pentium processor and the first phase development of Intel’s 64-bit architecture, the Itanium Processor.