Ludhiana, March 4: The man credited with capturing the vast majority of Punjab’s television market, Raja Singh Oberoi, died on February 28 at the age of 90. Oberoi, the founder of the iconic Texla TV brand, was a self-made entrepreneur who rose from a partition-era migrant to a titan of the Indian electronics industry.
The business journey for Oberoi began long before the television boom. In 1961, he declared his presence in the market with Jupiter Radios, a brand that gained significant popularity for its reasonable pricing. By 1972, he expanded his reach by launching Texla, a move that eventually led to the manufacturing of over 3 lakh television sets per year by the mid-1980s.
Kawaljit Oberoi, his son, maintained that his father’s lack of schooling did not hinder his ability to lead. “My father was not formally educated, but he was a visionary,” Kawaljit Oberoi asserted. He declared that the elder Oberoi’s commitment to the craft allowed Texla to eventually secure approximately 95 per cent of the market share in the region.
The elder Oberoi’s life was also defined by a shift toward community service as his business ventures flourished. Through the establishment of ‘Sarab Sanjhi Gurbani,’ he utilized modern media to spread religious teachings. This initiative included the production of cassettes and the broadcasting of devotional programs on various television and radio platforms.
The family’s industrial roots remain active in Dehradun, where Inderjit Oberoi and Sukhwinder Oberoi manage the current business interests.
Reflecting on the scale of the company’s impact, Kawaljit Oberoi stated, “Texla went on to dominate the Punjab market.” He attributed this dominance to a legacy of perseverance that began when the family moved to India from Mirpur in 1947.
