1905
Bachhraj Bajaj, a self-made money-lender and trader from Wardha establishes Cotton Ginning factory in Wardha, Maharashtra.
Timeline
1915
On inheriting his adopted grandfather Bachhraj’s business empire at the tender age of seventeen a shrewd and alert Jamnalal kept himself informed of market trends by continually travelling and meeting people from the cotton trade. In 1915, Bajaj opens an office in Bombay under the trade name Bachhraj Jamnalal.
1926
Bachhraj Factories Private Ltd. is established. Under the Bajaj Factories umbrella, the family ran cotton ginning and pressing factories in Guntur, Wardha and several other places in Maharashtra
1937
Lala Mukand Lal sets up Mukand Iron & Steel Works in Lahore but is unable to run the plants. On Gandhi’s suggestion, Jamnalal Bajaj, seen here at the Lahore factory, acquires Mukand Iron & Steel Works Ltd. in 1939. In 1989 the name of the company was changed to Mukand Ltd.
1938
Radio Lamp Works Ltd. is established. Kamalnayan Bajaj acquires the company in 1954.
1946
The Kathotias set up a fan manufacturing company, Matchwell Electricals India Ltd. which was bought over by Kamalnayan Bajaj in the 1950s and merged with Bajaj Electricals
1951
The Bajajs and ELMI comprising 4 European companies: Phillips, General Electric Co, Crompton Parkinson and Associated Electricals Industries Hind Lamps Ltd. come together in a 50-50 partnership to form Hind Lamps.
1952
Kamalnayan Bajaj diversifies the group’s interests and enters the travel business with ‘Transport Everywhere’. This company is later called Hind Musafir Agency
1960
Radio Lamp Works Ltd. merged with the newly created Bajaj Electricals Ltd., acting as a marketing umbrella.
1960
Bachraj Trading Pvt. Ltd. is rechristened as Bajaj Auto and becomes a public limited company.
1962
Transport Everywhere is restructured as Hind Musafir Agency Ltd. The company is one of the oldest IATA recognised agencies in India today
1975
Maharashtra Scooters Ltd., a joint sector Public Limited Company, listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange and jointly promoted by Western Maharashtra Development Corporation Limited and Bajaj Auto Ltd. is set up.
1977
The Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation was established in 1977, in the memory of Jamnalal Bajaj and since then the foundation has been promoting Gandhiji’s constructive programmes and honouring people who have aligned themselves with the Foundation’s philosophy and causes.
1987
Bajaj Auto Finance Ltd. is incorporated which specialises in hire purchase and lease finance primarily for Bajaj’s customers.
1987
Mukand Construction and Project Engineering Company Private Ltd. The company is today known as Mukand Engineering Ltd.
1998
Mukand Ltd. buys stake in Hospet Steel Ltd. bringing the combined manufacturing capacity from its plants at Thane, Maharashtra and Hospet to 6 Itpa of special and stainless steel long products.
2000
Bajaj Finserv’s insurance joint ventures Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance Co Ltd and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance Co Ltd is announced.
2007
Bajaj Finserv Ltd. was formed in April 2007 as a result of its demerger from Bajaj Auto Limited as a separate entity to focus purely on the financial services business of the group.
2007
Starlite Lighting Ltd. invites Bajaj Electricals limited as a strategic partner catapulting the former into a much bigger league and positioning Starlite amongst the leading players in the Lighting Industry.
2008
Shishir Bajaj and his son Kushagra separate from the Bajaj group taking sugar and power business, Bajaj Hindustan Sugar and the Consumer Care Business.
2018
Consumer durables firm Bajaj Electricals bought iconic Non-stick cookware maker Nirlep Appliances. Launched in 1968, Nirlep was one of the first domestic firms to export to Europe.
2018
Bajaj Group becomes fourth biggest group in the country by market capitalisation. The market cap of the group was INR 3.77 lakh crore on 31-Dec-2018 as against INR 30,321 crore on 31-Mar-2007. The group is now the third largest group after the Tatas and Ambanis.
2018
Mukand Sumi Special Steel Limited – a joint venture between Mukand Limited and Sumitomo Corporation, Japan – is setting up a new steel rolling facility by mid-2020 at an approximate cost of Rs 600 crore.
2019
Maharashtra Scooters Limited becomes a subsidiary of Bajaj Holdings and Investment Limited