Bajaj at 100: A nationalist legacy pivots to global scale and technological ambition

MUMBAI: A century after Jamnalal Bajaj, animated by nationalist fervour, founded Seth Bacchraj and Co in 1926 while financing and organising support for Mahatma Gandhi’s freedom movement, his descendants gathered in Mumbai to commemorate the Bajaj Group’s 100-year journey and outline its future ambitions in a rapidly shifting economic landscape.

The centenary, marked at the National Sports Club of India, comes as the conglomerate—now spanning over 100 companies, exporting to more than 100 countries and employing upwards of 130,000 people—positions itself at the intersection of manufacturing prowess, financial deepening and technological change. With a market capitalisation of roughly $148bn and a presence in one in three Indian households, the group has evolved from a trading firm into a diversified industrial and financial services giant, with a forthcoming entry into healthcare.

In a message underscoring the milestone’s symbolic resonance, Prime Minister Narendra Modi described the group’s trajectory as mirroring India’s own economic evolution. He noted that its longevity reflects an ability to adapt, contribute to growth and remain relevant across generations, while emphasising the role of such institutions in advancing the Govt’s ambition of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2047. He added that the group’s contributions to employment, innovation and community development exemplify its nation-building role.

The commemorations also served as a platform for the family’s fourth generation to articulate its strategic outlook. Rajiv Bajaj, who leads the auto business, struck a confident note on India’s manufacturing competitiveness, arguing that in value-added engineering products the country now outperforms China, Vietnam and Thailand. His remarks reflect a broader belief within the group that India’s industrial base can sustain global leadership. He also hinted at generational transition, expressing hope that the next generation, including Rishabh Bajaj, would help translate ambition into execution.

Sanjiv Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Finserv, framed the present moment as an inflection point where policy alignment, technological maturity and national momentum are converging. He argued that India’s next phase of growth will be shaped as much by innovation and digital infrastructure as by traditional industrial expansion. Artificial intelligence, in his telling, is not merely a technological trend but a catalyst for financial inclusion, enabling both entrepreneurs and family businesses to scale by widening access to capital.

The group’s leadership repeatedly returned to the interplay between legacy and reinvention. Niraj Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Auto, situated the firm’s origins in the early push for self-reliance, arguing that its founding philosophy of prioritising the common good continues to inform its strategy. He traced a lineage from Jamnalal Bajaj through Kamalnayan and Ramkrishna Bajaj to Rahul Bajaj, whose tenure institutionalised a blend of ambition, discipline and ethical conduct, even as the group expanded into manufacturing and finance.

Rajiv Bajaj emphasised the firm’s global integration, noting that Bajaj Auto now ranks among the world’s top three two-wheeler manufacturers, with products sold across Africa, Latin America and Southeast Asia. Partnerships such as the one with Austria’s KTM, he suggested, illustrate a shift from imitation to co-creation, signalling that Indian firms can compete as equals in global markets.

Alongside commercial ambitions, the group reiterated its social commitments. Its philanthropic initiatives, spanning youth skilling, health and education, have reached more than 10m beneficiaries. Nirav Bajaj, who leads the group’s healthcare venture, outlined plans to scale these efforts through “Bajaj Beyond”, with a target of impacting over 20m young Indians in the next five years. The emphasis, he suggested, is on building ecosystems rather than standalone institutions.

Shekhar Bajaj, chairman of Bajaj Electricals, invoked the founder’s legacy in social reform, from promoting khadi to opposing regressive practices such as child marriage and dowry. He posed a rhetorical question that captured the group’s self-image: whether success should be measured purely in scale and numbers, or in values upheld and communities strengthened.

The evening’s proceedings, which included a performance by Grammy-winning composer Ricky Kej, a film on Jamnalal Bajaj and Mahatma Gandhi directed by Rajkumar Hirani, and the unveiling of a centenary logo, blended retrospection with forward-looking intent. As India’s economic ambitions broaden, the Bajaj Group’s challenge will be to translate its inherited ethos into relevance in an era defined by technology, global competition and shifting patterns of growth.

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