Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto

Bajaj Auto Limited is an Indian motorized vehicle-producing company. Bajaj Auto is a part of Bajaj Group. It was founded by Jamnalal Bajaj at Rajasthan in the 1930s. It is based in Pune, Mumbai, with plants in Chakan (Pune), Waluj (near Aurangabad) and Pantnagar in Uttaranchal. The oldest plant at Akurdi (Pune) now houses the R&D centre Ahead. Bajaj Auto makes and exports automobiles, scooters, motorcycles and auto rickshaws.

Bajaj Auto is the world's third-largest manufacturer of motorcycles and the second-largest in India.

The Forbes Global 2000 list for the year 2005 ranked Bajaj Auto at 1,946. It features at 1639 in forbes 2011 list.

The company has changed its image from a scooter manufacturer to a two-wheeler manufacturer. Its product range encompasses scooterettes, scooters and motorcycles. Its growth has come in the last four years after successful introduction of models in the motorcycle segment.

The company is headed by Rahul Bajaj who is worth more than US$1.5 billion.

Bajaj Auto came into existence on 29 November 1945 as M/s Bachraj Trading Corporation Private Limited. It started off by selling imported two- and three-wheelers in India. In 1959, it obtained a license from the government of India to manufacture two- and three-wheelers and it went public in 1960. In 1970, it rolled out its 100,000th vehicle. In 1977, it sold 100,000 vehicles in a financial year. In 1985, it started producing at Waluj near Aurangabad. In 1986, it sold 500,000 vehicles in a financial year. In 1995, it rolled out its ten millionth vehicle and produced and sold one million vehicles in a year.

According to the authors of Globality: Competing with Everyone from Everywhere for Everything, Bajaj has operations in 50 countries by creating a line of bikes targeted to the preferences of entry-level buyers.