Bajaj Auto went from a small company in one town in India to being a world leader in vehicles, finance and other areas.
For the people of Jakarta, Indonesia the bright orange three-wheeled bajaj used to be a very common sight. In recent years the blue model, which uses natural gas, has taken the place of the once ubiquitous orange model. Similarly the citizens of Bangkok, Thailand are accustomed to the ever-present so-called tuk-tuks or “’sam lor’ (three-wheeled)” (Tuk-tuks in Bangkok, 2018). In many countries and numerous Indian cities (Mani, 2010) these three-wheeled vehicles are an important part of daily transportation.
What many people don’t realize is all these vehicles, also known as auto-rickshaws, originate from one very successful Indian company, in fact, one Indian family, the Bajaj family. The company was founded in 1926 by “humanitarian, freedom fighter, philanthropist, social reformer and a devoted Mahatma Gandhi follower,” Jamnalal Bajaj. (Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation, 2018)
The company that created the common three-wheeled auto-rickshaw has become a world leader in two and especially three-wheeled vehicles. The company, started by an Indian man in the 1920s has become an extremely successful diversified group of companies.
