According to 2021 statistics, India’s automotive industry is the third-largest globally. But it’s hard to crack while setting up a business and growing successfully in this competitive environment. Fortunately, many Indian automotive companies have established a reputed position not only in India but also all over the World. One such company is Bajaj Auto Limited which was set up in 1945.
The company has crossed a capitalization of USD 13.6 billion in 2020, which proves it is one of the most precious manufacturing companies of two-wheelers and three-wheelers globally.
Bajaj auto limited has headquarters in Pune, Maharashtra, India. It manufactures scooters, motorcycles, and three-wheelers.
The company has manufacturing plants in Chakan (Pune), Waluj (Ahmednagar), and Pantnagar (Uttarakhand). In addition, the R&D department of the Bajaj Auto company is in Akurdi, Pune.
Bajaj Auto Limited is one segment of the Bajaj group. Jamnalal Bajaj established the Bajaj Group in 1926. This group has 34 companies, out of which Bajaj Auto is one. Fortunately, Bajaj Auto Limited is the fourth largest manufacturer of two and three-wheeler all over the World.
Rahul Bajaj was heading this company till 2005. However, he left his responsibilities in 2005, and his son Rajiv Bajaj started heading the company. After Rahul Bajaj’s death, the company is now headed by his two sons i.e., Rajiv Bajaj and Sanjiv Bajaj.
Kamal Nayan Bajaj laid the foundation of Bajaj Auto limited. He was the elder son of Jamanlal Bajaj who set up Bajaj group 1926.
Kamal Nayan Bajaj completed his studies at the University of Cambridge, England, and then returned to India to help his father in business. He initiated the precursor to Bajaj Auto and diversified the business into various segments like the manufacturing of scooters, three-wheelers, cement alloy, and casting equipment.
Rahul Bajaj was the son of Kamal Nayan Bajaj. He completed his graduation from St. Stephen’s College, which is in Delhi, and earned a law degree from Bombay University. Later he did MBA from Havard Business school and returned to India.
He took responsibility for important departments like audit, finance, and marketing of his father’s company in1965. Rahul Bajaj became the Chief Executive Officer of the company in 1968. He became the Managing director after his father expired in 1972. The turnover of Bajaj Auto limited increased to Rs12,000 crore during his period. The Bajaj chetak was the main reason for expanding the company’s turnover.
In 2005, Rahul Bajaj left all the responsibilities of Bajaj Auto Limited and entered politics. He became a Rajya Sabha member from 2006 to 2010. Rahul Bajaj expired at the age of 83 due to pneumonia in February 2022.
Currently, his son Rajiv Bajaj is heading the company. Rajiv Bajaj was born in 1966. He did his schooling at St. Ursula High School, Pune. After that, he did his Mechanical Engineering from Pune University. He then did Masters in manufacturing systems and engineering and completed it in 1990.
After completing Master’s, Rajiv Bajaj started working in Bajaj Auto Limited. First, he worked in the manufacturing and supply chain department from 1990 to 1995. Then he started working in the Engineering department from 1995 to 2000, and in the marketing and sales department from 2000 to 2005. He is now Managing director of the Bajaj Auto company.
| Key Points | Information |
| Name of the Company | Bajaj Auto Limited |
| Precious Name | Bachraj Trading Corporation Private Limited |
| Name Of the Founder | Jamnalal Bajaj |
| Establishment Date | 29th November1945 |
| Headquarter | Pune, Maharashtra, India |
| CEO | Rajiv Bajaj |
| Email Id | customerservice@bajajauto.com |
| Website | www.bajajauto.com |
The Bajaj Group was established By Jamnalal Bajaj in 1926. Jamnalal Bajaj was both a freedom fighter and an industrialist.
The name of the Bajaj Auto company existed in India as Bachraj Trading Corporation Private Limited.
The company started selling two and three-wheelers which were brought from abroad. They had no manufacturing plant at that time.
Bajaj Auto earned a license for manufacturing two and three-wheelers in India.
The Bajaj Auto company became public in 1960. It obtained a license from Piaggo and launched Vespa 150 in 1960 which. The Vespa scooters became popular for almost ten years because of their exciting features, like their body consisting of pressed steel which is long-lasting. However, the Bajaj Auto company took nearly ten years to sell 100,000 vehicles.
The company launched a three-wheelers goods carrier in 1971.
The Bajaj Auto company launched Bajaj Chetak this year. Maharana Pratap Singh had a horse named Chetak, which was quite famous. So the name Bajaj Chetak is named considering the name of the horse of Maharana Pratap Singh. The Bajaj chetak scooter was available at an affordable price and so can be easily purchased by millions of Indians.
The company launched an autorickshaw with a rear engine. Fortunately, this year the Bajaj Auto company sold 1000,000 vehicles from 1976-1977. But unfortunately, the agreement with Vespa was over in 1977.
The Bajaj Auto company launched Bajaj Super which has many features similar to that of Vespa. The Bajaj Super was a symbol of prestige in Indian families at that time.
Again in 1977, the Bajaj Auto company agreed with Maharashtra scooters and initiated Bajaj Priya. The Bajaj Priya had three gears and had almost the same features as the Bajaj 150.
The Bajaj auto company launched the M-50 scooter in 1981, which was popular in rural and suburban areas.
The Bajaj Auto company started producing its vehicles in Waluj Plant, Aurangabad, Maharashtra.
Earlier the brand name of the company was scooter manufacturer. But in 1986, the company changed to a two-wheeler manufacturer.
The Bajaj auto company launched a higher version of the M-50 scooter known as the M-80, which most people liked.
The company partnered with Kawasaki and launched another two products in the Indian market, i.e., Kawasaki Bajaj KB-100 and Kawasaki Bajaj KB-125. The production of these two vehicles began in 1986 and was famous in the market till 1996. The company was selling 500,000 vehicles in a year
The two vehicles gained popularity in the market for almost ten decades and were liked by most people. But when Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber was introduced in the market with a speed of 95 Km in one hour, the demand for Kawasaki Bajaj KB -100 and Kawasaki Baj 125 went down.
The company launched Bajaj Sunny mainly for teenagers. The Bajaj sunny had a 60cc engine and could run 50 Km in one hour.
The Bajaj auto company launched Kawasaki Bajaj 4S Champion in 1991.
In November 1995, the Bajaj auto company completed 50 years successfully in the automotive industry. It partnered with Kubota (Japan) to develop diesel engines for three-wheelers. The company had also agreed with Research and Development Tokyo to manufacture scooters that can be operated without gear.
The company introduced three new vehicles in the market from 1993 to 1995. They were Bajaj stride, Classic and super excel.
The company launched Kawasaki Bajaj Boer in the market. It even introduced an autorickshaw with a diesel engine in the market.
Bajaj Auto started production in the Chakan plant, which is in Pune.
The company launched the Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber. It had a maximum speed of 95Km/hr.
The Bajaj Legend was also introduced in the market in 1998. It had a four-stroke engine, resulting in better efficiency and low emission of pollutants.
The Bajaj Auto Limited initiated another scooter known as sprit, which college students mainly liked. It had a two-stroke engine,60 cubic capacity, and an air-cool engine.
The company sold Kawasaki Bajaj Caliber to almost 100,000 in 1999.
The company introduced Bajaj Suffire in the market.
The company launched Bajaj Pulsar in the market, which many people loved. Luckily the bike is still available. After a few months, Bajaj Auto company introduced another product, i.e., Kawasaki Bajaj Eliminator was launched on the market.
The company launched a series of vehicles from 2002-2004. It first launched Bajaj Pulsar DTS I, and then Bajaj Wind 125 gained popularity in the market.
The company also launched the Hoodibaba bike between these three years, i.e., Bajaj Caliber 115, which was again quite famous in the market.
In 2004, the Bajaj Auto company changed its logo and brand line. It also launched new products like Bajaj Chetak with 4-stroke engines and great gear, Bajaj Discover DTS-i, and Bajaj CT-100.
The company launched three new products in the market, i.e., Bajaj Discover, Bajaj wave DTS-i and Bajaj Avenger DTS -i.
The Bajaj Avenger replaced Bajaj Eliminator in the market. It was a cruise-style motorcycle initially launched with a 180 Cubic capacity engine. But later, it increased to 200 Cubic capacity and then to 220 Cubic capacity.
The Bajaj wave had 109.77 Cubic capacity engine continuous variable transmission and could offer the power of 8BHP.
The Bajaj Auto company introduced Bajaj Platina in 2006, whose showroom price was 35,000. Fortunately, 500,000 Bajaj Platina were sold only in eight months. The bike had a top speed of 90 Km/hr.
The Bajaj Auto company introduced various new products in the market in 2007. It first launched Bajaj Kristal DTS -I and then Pulsar DTS-i with a 200 cubic capacity engine. The Pantnagar plant of this company was inaugurated in April 2007. Fortunately, the Pantnagar plant produced 27,5000 vehicles only in one year. Pulsar 220 DTS-i was launched within a few days after the inauguration.
There was also a plant of the Bajaj Auto Company in Akurdi (Pune). It was a plant where vehicles were usually assembled. But unfortunately, the company shut down this plant in 2007 because of high production costs.
The Dutch Subsidiary of Bajaj Auto company, i.e., Bajaj Auto International holdings, purchased 14.5 percent shares from KTM AG, a manufacturer of sports cars, bicycles, and motorcycles in Austria. Later it increased its stake to 48.1 percent by 2020.
RE GDI autorickshaw was introduced in the market at the end of 2007.
The company introduced a new motorcycle in the market, i.e., Bajaj XCD 125 DTS -Si was introduced in the market, which has a 125 cubic capacity engine.
The Bajaj Auto company was classified into three entities. They were Bajaj Auto Ltd, Bajaj Holdings and Investment Ltd, and Bajaj Finserv Limited (A financial service company focusing on wealth management and insurance).
The Chakan plant of this company produced 2 million pulsars this year.
The company introduced a higher version of Bajaj Pulsar 150 and 180 in the market.
The production of motorized two-wheeler and three-wheelers increased this year, i.e., from 780,000 to 5040000. It even introduced some new vehicles in market like Pulsar 220 F, Pulsar 150 UG, Pulsar 180 UG, Pulsar 135 LS, Bajaj XCD 135 DTS Si, and Discover DTS -Si.
The Bajaj Pulsar 220 F was one of the costliest sports bikes in India. As a result, the company made an effort to increase its power by reducing its fuel consumption.
The company added Pulsar 180 UG with some new features that most people liked.
The Pulsar 150 UG was upgraded with some exciting features, like there was the addition of a powerful engine and there was a clip-on handlebar. This motorcycle was so popular in the market that it was classified in the best seller category.
The Pulsar 135 LS had a 4-volt DTS i engine. The four valves enable the engine to breathe appropriately and generate high performance—the DTS i allows the vehicle to have a good fuel economy.
The company started delivering Bajaj XCD 135 DTS -Si in February 2009.
The Bajaj Auto company introduced some new vehicles like Avenger 220 DTS -i, KTM Duke 125, Discover 150, and Discover 125.
The company also announced about joining with Renault and Nissan motor to develop a car that will run 30Kms in one litre.
The Bajaj Auto company joined hands with Kawasaki in Indonesia. Kawasaki is a Japanese company that manufactures motorcycles, aerospace equipment, and engines. It has headquarters in Tokyo.
Bajaj Auto company announced about launching RE -60 or Bajaj Qute, which will mainly target customers who like to buy three-wheel vehicles. During the announcement, Rajiv Bajaj said that RE-60 could have a maximum speed of 70 km in one hour. In addition, it will have a mileage of 30Kmph and carbon dioxide emissions of 60gm/Km. It was the first four-wheeler launched by the company.
Again, between the years 2012-2013, the Bajaj Auto company sold 4,80,000 three-wheelers, from which it sold 48 percent in India, and 53 percent were exported to different countries around the World.
The Bajaj Auto company even sold 3.76 million motorcycles between 2012 and 2013.
The Bajaj Auto company introduced another new vehicle, the eDuke 390 CC, which costs 1.83 lakhs. The company even got a design excellence award in 2013.
The vehicle could not reach a top speed of 90Km/hr. So, it was mainly used as a replacement for autorickshaws.
The Bajaj Auto Company celebrated the 125th anniversary of the founder of this company, i.e., Jamnalal Bajaj.
The Bajaj Auto company launched three motorcycles in the market, i.e., Avenger Street 150, Avenger Street 220, and Avenger cruise 220.
Of these three motorcycles, Avenger Street 150 and Avenger Street 220 is not existing in the market. But the Avenger cruise 220 is still existing in the market. It gives a cruise-like feeling while riding on this motorcycle. It is now available in two colours, i.e., Ebony black and desert gold.
The Bajaj Auto company partnered with Triump motorcycles LTD to build motorcycles of medium capacity.
The Bajaj Auto company announced the investment of Rs 57 crore in bicycles and the start-up of the rental electric scooter Yulu. The company even added it would start manufacturing modified electric scooters for Yulu.
The Bajaj Auto company launched its first electric scooter Chetak in 2020. It even launched an updated version of the electric start Bajaj Platina whose price is Rs 53,290. It has various new and exciting features like tubeless tires, a spring suspension system, and various others.
The Bajaj Auto company announced the investment of Rs 300 crore in building an electric production facility in Pune, Maharashtra, India. The company even stated that the plant could produce 500,000 electric vehicles every year, which can satisfy the needs of both domestic and international markets.
Rajiv Bajaj announced that new electric vehicles would start rolling out from the Akurdi plant by June 2022.
The two-wheeler producer in Pune has reported a 59 increase in domestic sales. The Bajaj Auto company sold 96,102 two-wheelers in May 2022, whereas last year May, it had sold only 60,342 two-wheelers.
But unfortunately, the exports decreased by 15 percent in May 2022. The Bajaj Auto company sold 1,80,212 vehicles in May last year, but it has exported only 1,53,397 vehicles this year.
The Bajaj Auto company has even revised the prices of higher displacement pulsar motorcycles like pulsar F250 and Pulsar N -250. Electric Scooter is available now in many places.
The two-wheeler producer removed CT 100 from the market.
The Bajaj Auto company has discontinued various Scooters and motorcycles from the market.
I am listing below some Bajaj Auto Limited discontinued motorcycles in this article.
The Bajaj Pulsar 200 NS was introduced in market in 2012. It was a sports bike. Here NS stands for naked sports.
After a few years, the Bajaj Auto company discontinued from the market and introduced an upgraded version in 2017 as NS 200. It was available in two colours, i.e., white and black, and is liked by most youngsters.
The Bajaj XCD 125 DTS -Si was launched in 2007. Fortunately, the company sold 18,000 units of this motorcycle only in the first month and 28,000 units every month. But later, in 2009, the company introduced 135 ccs of XCD version. As a result, Bajaj XCD 125 DTS -Si sales were reduced and later discontinued from the market.
The Bajaj Kawasaki wind 125 is a street motorcycle designed by the Bajaj Auto company in 2003. The bile had a 5-speed manual transmission, a 125-cc engine, and a hydrodynamic suspension.
The customers demanded the modification of this bike in its performance and mileage. So, the company decided to remove it from the market’s shelf in two years. Finally, in 2006 the company used its design again in 100 CC engines, and its name was Platina, which has a top speed of 91Km/hr.
The Bajaj Avenger is a cruiser motorcycle made by the company first in 2005. It had a style and design similar to that of Kawasaki Eliminator.
The engineers of Bajaj developed Avenger 180 on 10th June 2005, whose mileage was 45Kmpl.
It was again upgraded in 2007 as Avenger 200. The Avenger 200 had an engine capacity of 200 ccs, and its top speed was 114Km/hr.
Again in 2010, the Bajaj Auto company upgraded the model and introduced Avenger 220. In addition, it changed the fuel tank, rear lights, and headlight.
The weight of this motorcycle was 185Kg, and its top speed was 135Km/hr.
The Avenger 220 was a pretty successful cruiser compared to other cruisers in the market, mainly in terms of performance, reliability, and cost.
But unfortunately, these models are now discontinued from the market and replaced with some new models.
The second generation of the Avenger series again started in 2015. Three new products were developed by Bajaj Auto company from 2015- 2017.
The company introduced Avenger Street 150 along with Avenger Street 220 and Avenger cruise 220 in 2015.
The Avenger Street 150 had a 150-cc engine and a top speed of 117Km/hr. But the problem with this vehicle was that it required 1150 of engine oil to refill during servicing.
The Avenger Street 220 had engine specifications similar to that of Avenger Street 150. But the engine was a bit tuned, so that produced high torque. It had a carburetor injection system identical to Avenger 150 but had a top speed of 120Km/hr.
Unfortunately, these two motorcycles are not existing in the market.
#5. Bajaj Eliminator 175
It was the base of the Avenger series, which is still popular in the automotive market. It had a single-cylinder air-cooled four-stroke engine with a displacement of 173.99 ccs. But unluckily, this model is not on the shelf of the Indian market.
#6. Bajaj Byk 100
The Bajaj Byk 100 was launched in 2000. It had a petrol ignition system with 92.21 engine cc and 10-liter fuel tank capacity. But unfortunately, this model is no more available in the Indian market.
I am listing some of the Bajaj Auto company scooters that are no longer found on the shelf of the Indian market.
The Bajaj Chetak was launched in 1972. The best thing was Bajaj Chetak was available at affordable rates. So, most Indians could easily buy it. The Bajaj Chetak had a 150cc two-stroke engine before 2002.
But later, the Bajaj auto company engineers improved the Bajaj Chetak’s engine. So, after 2002 the Bajaj Chetak scooter had a four-stroke engine with 110 CC. Its competitor was LML NV at that time. The LML NV was a motor scooter manufactured by Lohia Machinery Limited, Kanpur, India.
Chetak lost its popularity slowly, and finally, the company stopped production in 2005. It was later discontinued from the shelves of the Indian market.
The company launched Bajaj Cub in 1984, with a top speed of 70 KMPH. However, it was soon discontinued from the Indian market after the launching of Bajaj chetak. The Bajaj Chetak had a 150cc and big wheel diameter compared to the Bajaj cub.
The Bajaj Priya was manufactured in 1975. The design of the Bajaj Priya was quite similar to the model of the Bajaj 150. The Vespa sprint replaced the Bajaj Priya in 1992.
The Bajaj Sunny was launched in the year 1990. The scooter was targeting mainly college-going students and ladies. However, it was also comfortable for aged persons.
The Bajaj Sunny had a two-stroke engine with a 60cc engine and a top speed of 50Km/hr. But unfortunately, the company stopped its production in 1997.
The Bajaj Stride had a two-stroke and 145.55 cc engine. It was launched in 1993 and was quite a comfortable scooter for most people.
The company introduced Bajaj Spirit in 1999. It had a 60cc two-stroke engine and was a good scooter for college-going students. Moreover, the weight of this scooter was light. So, women were also riding it.
Bajaj spirit had outstanding features like an anti-driving system that enabled safe braking, a front suspension system, and hydraulic dampers. But now, it is no longer available on the shelf of the Indian market.
The company produced the Bajaj Super in 1976, with a two-stroke engine (125 ccs) and a top speed of 80Km/hr. However, the company stopped its production in 2006.
Bajaj wave was a scooter where there was a 109.77cc engine and CVT transmission. It was launched in 2005 but is no longer available on the shelf of the Indian market.
The company introduced Bajaj Kristal in 2007. It had a 94.66 cc single-cylinder DTS -I engine with a top speed of 70Km. But unfortunately, in 2010, it was discontinued from the market.
Bajaj Bravo had 145.55 air-cooled two-stroke engines. It was introduced to the market in 1999, but now it is unavailable.
The motorcycles which are currently available in the market are as follows.
The scooter which is currently available today is as follows.
The three-wheelers which are currently available today are as follows.
The company involves trading, exporting, and importing two-wheelers and three-wheelers of Bajaj Auto Company in Indonesia.
Bajaj Auto International Holdings B.V. is a 100 percent subsidiary of Bajaj Auto company in the Netherlands. The company involves in investment-related work.
The Bajaj Auto company has established an International Business centre and Engine Design Centre below this subsidiary.
The Bajaj Auto company has established a design studio in Spain below this subsidiary.
Chetak technology limited was established in 2001 and is a 100 percent subsidiary of the Bajaj Auto group. The company is involved in manufacturing motor vehicles, trailers, and semitrailers. The office of this company is in Pune, Maharashtra.
This company is a 100 percent subsidiary of Bajaj Auto Limited. It was established mainly to finance the vehicles that Bajaj Auto company will manufacture.
This company was founded in 1959 and is a subsidiary of Bajaj Auto company.
Bajaj Auto Limited plans to expand the growth of electric vehicles in the future. The M.D. of the company, i.e., Rajiv Bajaj, has even told the media that the company has aimed to produce new electric two-wheelers every year for at least 3-5 years.
The electric scooter or bikes that come under the Chetak brand will have a distinguished configuration and satisfy different needs. The company also aims to strengthen numerous aspects like hardware, software, technology, logistics, and others.
The Pune plant is currently producing 8000-9000 electric two-wheelers. But it aims to manufacture 50,000 electric two-wheelers annually.
The net worth of the Bajaj Auto company is US$13.6 billion.
Bajaj Auto Limited is an Indian automobile company that has not only earned fame in India but also all over the globe. This company has manufactured numerous scooters, three-wheelers, and motorcycles, some of which do not exist in the market.
But they are replaced with a new model which has upgraded features. Recently Bajaj Auto company is giving importance to producing more electric vehicles as they do not emit harmful pollutants into the atmosphere. You can quickly charge these vehicles and go up to several kilometres. I hope this article is helpful, and please share it on social media platforms so that it can reach many people who want to know more about this company.
