Bajaj Auto
Encyclopedia
Bajaj Auto is a major Indian vehicle
manufacturer started by Jamnalal Bajaj
from Rajasthan
in the 1930s. It is based in Pune
, Maharashtra
, 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 automobile
s, scooters
, motorcycle
s and the auto rickshaw
.
The Forbes Global 2000
list for the year 2005 ranked Bajaj Auto at 1,946.It features at 1639 in
forbes 2011 list.
Over the last decade, the company has successfully changed its image from a scooter manufacturer to a two wheeler manufacturer. Its product range encompasses scooterettes, scooters and motorcycles. Its real growth in numbers has come in the last four years after successful introduction of a few 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 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 managed to produce and sell 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1985, it started producing at Waluj near Aurangabad. In 1986, it managed to produce and sell 500,000 vehicles in a single 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 grown operations in 50 countries by creating a line of value-for-money bikes targeted to the different preferences of entry-level buyers.
In November 2007, Bajaj Auto acquired 14.5% stake in KTM
Power Sports AG (holding company of KTM Sportmotocycles AG). The two companies have signed a cooperation deal, by which KTM will provide the know-how for joint development of the water-cooled four-stroke 125 and 250 cc engines, and Bajaj will take over the distribution of KTM products in India and some other Southeast Asian nations. Bajaj said it is open to taking a majority stake in KTM and is also looking at other takeover opportunities. On 8 January 2008, Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj confirmed the collaboration and announced his intention to gradually increase Bajaj's stake in KTM to 25%.
, Platina
, Discover
, Pulsar
and Avenger
. Bajaj also produces many motorcycles for other manufacturers, such as the Kawasaki Ninja 250R
, and new for 2011, the KTM Duke 125. Cars include the Bajaj ULC ultra-low-cost car.
and Nissan Motor, will aim at a fuel-efficiency of 30 kilometres per litre (70.6 mpgU.S.) (3.3 L/100 km), or twice an average small car, and carbon dioxide emissions of 100 g/km. The car is scheduled to be launched in 2012.
It is a Tata Nano
competitor. The Bajaj venture will have an initial capacity of 400,000 units, while Tata expects eventual demand of one million Nanos.
Vehicle
A vehicle is a device that is designed or used to transport people or cargo. Most often vehicles are manufactured, such as bicycles, cars, motorcycles, trains, ships, boats, and aircraft....
manufacturer started by Jamnalal Bajaj
Jamnalal Bajaj
Jamnalal Bajaj was an Indian industrialist, a philanthropist, and Indian independence fighter. He was also a close associate and follower of Mahatma Gandhi. Gandhi is known to have adopted him as his son. Several institutions in India bears his name, including the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of...
from Rajasthan
Rajasthan
Rājasthān the land of Rajasthanis, , is the largest state of the Republic of India by area. It is located in the northwest of India. It encompasses most of the area of the large, inhospitable Great Indian Desert , which has an edge paralleling the Sutlej-Indus river valley along its border with...
in the 1930s. It is based in Pune
Pune
Pune , is the eighth largest metropolis in India, the second largest in the state of Maharashtra after Mumbai, and the largest city in the Western Ghats. Once the centre of power of the Maratha Empire, it is situated 560 metres above sea level on the Deccan plateau at the confluence of the Mula ...
, Maharashtra
Maharashtra
Maharashtra is a state located in India. It is the second most populous after Uttar Pradesh and third largest state by area in India...
, with plants in Chakan
Chakan
Chakan may mean:*Chakan: The Forever Man, a video game published by Sega of America, June 8, 1992*Chakan, Maharashtra a census town in Pune district in the state of Maharashtra, India*Chakan, Jalal-Abad, a village in Kyrgyzstan...
(Pune), Waluj (near Aurangabad) and Pantnagar
Pantnagar
Pantnagar is a town and a University campus in Udham Singh Nagar district, Uttarakhand. Nainital, Rudrapur and Kiccha, Haldwani are the major cities surrounding Pantnagar....
in Uttaranchal. The oldest plant at Akurdi (Pune) now houses the R&D centre Ahead. Bajaj Auto makes and exports automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
s, scooters
Scooter (motorcycle)
A scooter is a motorcycle with step-through frame and a platform for the operator's feet. Elements of scooter design have been present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and motorcycles identifiable as scooters have been made from 1914 or earlier...
, motorcycle
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
s and the auto rickshaw
Auto rickshaw
An auto rickshaw or three-wheeler is a usually three-wheeled cabin cycle for private use and as a vehicle for hire. It is a motorized version of the traditional pulled rickshaw or cycle rickshaw...
.
The Forbes Global 2000
Forbes Global 2000
The Forbes Global 2000 is an annual ranking of the top 2000 public companies in the world by Forbes magazine. The ranking is based on a mix of four metrics: sales, profit, assets and market value...
list for the year 2005 ranked Bajaj Auto at 1,946.It features at 1639 in
forbes 2011 list.
Over the last decade, the company has successfully changed its image from a scooter manufacturer to a two wheeler manufacturer. Its product range encompasses scooterettes, scooters and motorcycles. Its real growth in numbers has come in the last four years after successful introduction of a few models in the motorcycle segment.
The company is headed by Rahul Bajaj
Rahul Bajaj
Rahul Bajaj is an Indian businessman, politician and philanthropist. He is the chairman of Indian conglomerate Bajaj Group and member of parliament. Bajaj comes from the business house started by a Rajasthani Marwadi businessman Jamnalal Bajaj. The US$ 1.32 Billion Bajaj Auto is his flagship company...
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 license from the Government of India
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic 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 managed to produce and sell 100,000 vehicles in a single financial year. In 1985, it started producing at Waluj near Aurangabad. In 1986, it managed to produce and sell 500,000 vehicles in a single 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 grown operations in 50 countries by creating a line of value-for-money bikes targeted to the different preferences of entry-level buyers.
Timeline of new releases
- 1960-1970 - Vespa 150 - Under the licence of Piaggio of Italy
- 1971 - three-wheeler goods carrier
- 1972 - Bajaj ChetakBajaj ChetakThe Bajaj Chetak was a popular Indian-made motor scooter produced by the Bajaj Auto company. The Chetak is named after Chetak, the legendary horse of Indian warrior Rana Pratap Singh....
- 1976 - Bajaj SuperBajaj SuperThe Bajaj Super was a two-stroke 150 cc motor scooter produced in India by Bajaj Auto between 1976 and 2006.-History:Early models were a licensed reproduction of the Italian-made eight-inch-wheeled Vespa Super. Production continued even after the licence agreement with Vespa expired in 1977...
- 1977 - Bajaj PriyaBajaj PriyaThe Bajaj Priya was a three geared scooter manufactured by Maharashtra Scooters under a license agreement with Bajaj Auto from 1975. The design was very similar to that of the earlier "Bajaj 150" model which was in turn based upon a Vespa 150 with a slightly modified body.-Headset:Vespa 150 had a...
- 1977 - Rear engine Autorickshaw
- 1981 - Bajaj M-50
- 1986 - Bajaj M-80, Kawasaki Bajaj KB100, Kawasaki Bajaj KB125,
- 1990 - Bajaj SunnyBajaj SunnyThe Bajaj Sunny was a scooterette produced and sold in India. Bajaj Auto no longer produces this vehicle. It has a 60 cc engine and a maximum speed of 50 km/h. It can carry a payload of up to 120 kg. It has a fuel tank capacity of 3.5 liters...
- 1991 - Kawasaki Bajaj 4S Champion
- 1993 - Bajaj Stride
- 1994 - Bajaj Classic
- 1995 - Bajaj Super Excel
- 1997 - Kawasaki Bajaj Boxer, Rear Engine Diesel Autorickshaw
- 1998 - Kawasaki Bajaj CaliberKawasaki Bajaj CaliberKawasaki Bajaj Caliber, a motorcycle sold by Bajaj in India. Introduced in 1998, it was later discontinued in 2006. It was made by incorporating some improvements in Bajaj 4S. One of the noticeable changes was the addition of an oil filter. Caliber had a 111.6 cc engine which was better than the...
, Bajaj LegendBajaj legendThe Bajaj Legend was a popular Indian-made motor scooter produced by the Bajaj Auto, Ltd. The Legend was first produced in 2002. It is powered by a new environmentally friendly 145cc four stroke single cylinder motor. A four stroke motor means that no oil needs to be mixed with the gas, resulting...
, India's first four-stroke scooter, Bajaj Spirit - 2000 - Bajaj SaffireBajaj SaffireSaffire was a high end gear-less motor scooter produced in India by Bajaj Auto. It was innovative in terms that it was the first gear-less scooter to use a four stroke engine. It was also the first to come with a choice of 6 colours. It was available in two shades of blue and in red, black, candy...
- 2001 - EliminatorKawasaki EliminatorThe Kawasaki Eliminator is a cruiser-type motorcycle that has been produced in several variants since its introduction in 1984 as the 900 Eliminator...
, Bajaj PulsarBajaj PulsarBajaj Pulsar is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. The two wheeler was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with motorcycle designer Glynn Kerr Tokyo R&D. Currently there are four variants available -with engine capacities of 135 cc,... - 2003 - Caliber115, Bajaj Wind 125, Bajaj PulsarBajaj PulsarBajaj Pulsar is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. The two wheeler was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with motorcycle designer Glynn Kerr Tokyo R&D. Currently there are four variants available -with engine capacities of 135 cc,...
Bajaj Endura FX - 2004 - Bajaj CT 100Bajaj CT 100Bajaj CT 100 is a 100 cm³ motorcycle built by Bajaj Auto. It delivers fuel economy exceeding 95 km/l .-Features:...
, New Bajaj Chetak 4-stroke with Wonder Gear, Bajaj Discover DTS-i - 2005 - Bajaj WaveBajaj WaveThe Bajaj Wave is a motor scooter from Bajaj Auto. It is a revised Bajaj Saffire. The Wave offers a 109.7 cc DTS-i engine, CVT transmission and revised body panels. It has a maximum power of 8 bhp. It also offers Bajaj's ExhausTEC technology and a ride control switch.It competes against the Honda...
, Bajaj AvengerBajaj AvengerThe Avenger is a cruiser style motorcycle designed and manufactured by Bajaj Auto in India. It draws the styling and other design cues from the Bajaj Eliminator which had an air-cooled, single-cylinder Kawasaki engine and was sold at a premium....
, Bajaj DiscoverBajaj DiscoverThe Bajaj Discover is a motorcycle brand by Bajaj Auto. Currently there are two variants of Discover- Discover DTS-Si and Discover 150.The bike initially launched in the year 2004 has been a success in the Indian two Wheeler segment since then..-History:... - 2006 - Bajaj PlatinaBajaj PlatinaBajaj Platina is a motorcycle built by Bajaj Auto. Currently there are two variants of Platina available with engine capacities of 100 and 125 cc. The 100 cc Platina was launched in April 2006 at an ex-showroom price of Rs 35,000 and crossed sales of 500,000 units within eight months of its launch...
- 2007 - Bajaj Pulsar-200Bajaj PulsarBajaj Pulsar is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. The two wheeler was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with motorcycle designer Glynn Kerr Tokyo R&D. Currently there are four variants available -with engine capacities of 135 cc,...
(Oil Cooled), Bajaj KristalBajaj KristalThe Bajaj Kristal is a scooterette produced and sold in India. This is again another scooterette from Bajaj Auto....
, Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi (Fuel Injection) , XCD 125 DTS-SiBajaj XCDThe Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si was a motorcycle manufactured in India by Bajaj Auto. It was launched in September 2007. It clocked up sales of 18,000 units in its first month and sold around 28,000 units per month. On January 2009, a 135 cc version of XCD was launched... - 2008 - Bajaj DiscoverBajaj DiscoverThe Bajaj Discover is a motorcycle brand by Bajaj Auto. Currently there are two variants of Discover- Discover DTS-Si and Discover 150.The bike initially launched in the year 2004 has been a success in the Indian two Wheeler segment since then..-History:...
135 DTS-i - sport (Upgrade of existing 135cc model) - 2009 - Bajaj Pulsar 135Bajaj Pulsar 135The Bajaj Pulsar 135 LS is a standard type motorcycle with a 135 cc, four-stroke engine. The Pulsar 135 LS first appeared on the market in 2009. It is manufactured by Bajaj Auto in India...
(December 9) (January) Bajaj XCDBajaj XCDThe Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si was a motorcycle manufactured in India by Bajaj Auto. It was launched in September 2007. It clocked up sales of 18,000 units in its first month and sold around 28,000 units per month. On January 2009, a 135 cc version of XCD was launched...
135 cc , Bajaj Pulsar 150 DTS-i UG IV, Bajaj Pulsar 180 DTS-i UG IV, Bajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-iBajaj Pulsar 220 DTS-iThe Pulsar 220 DTS-i is a motorcycle made by Bajaj in India beginning in 2009. It is the carbureted model of the same engine displacement that replaced the erstwhile fuel injected model, the Pulsar 220 DTS-Fi.- The Improvements on 220 DTSi:...
, Bajaj Discover 100 DTS-Si, Kawasaki Ninja 250RKawasaki Ninja 250RThe Kawasaki Ninja 250R is a motorcycle originally introduced by Kawasaki in 1983. As the marque's entry-level sport bike,...
Spinoffs and acquisitions
The demerger of Bajaj Auto Ltd into three separate corporate entities—Bajaj Finserv Ltd (BFL), Bajaj Auto Ltd (BAL), and Bajaj Holdings and Investment Ltd (BHIL)—was completed with the shares listing on 26 May 2008.In November 2007, Bajaj Auto acquired 14.5% stake in KTM
KTM
KTM Sportmotorcycle AG is an Austrian motorcycle, bicycle and moped manufacturer.The company was founded in 1934 by engineer Hans Trunkenpolz in Mattighofen. It started out as a metal working shop and was named Kraftfahrzeuge Trunkenpolz Mattighofen...
Power Sports AG (holding company of KTM Sportmotocycles AG). The two companies have signed a cooperation deal, by which KTM will provide the know-how for joint development of the water-cooled four-stroke 125 and 250 cc engines, and Bajaj will take over the distribution of KTM products in India and some other Southeast Asian nations. Bajaj said it is open to taking a majority stake in KTM and is also looking at other takeover opportunities. On 8 January 2008, Managing Director Rajiv Bajaj confirmed the collaboration and announced his intention to gradually increase Bajaj's stake in KTM to 25%.
Products
Bajaj has made a number of motorcycles, scooters and cars. Motorcycles in current production are the XCDBajaj XCD
The Bajaj XCD 125 DTS-Si was a motorcycle manufactured in India by Bajaj Auto. It was launched in September 2007. It clocked up sales of 18,000 units in its first month and sold around 28,000 units per month. On January 2009, a 135 cc version of XCD was launched...
, Platina
Bajaj Platina
Bajaj Platina is a motorcycle built by Bajaj Auto. Currently there are two variants of Platina available with engine capacities of 100 and 125 cc. The 100 cc Platina was launched in April 2006 at an ex-showroom price of Rs 35,000 and crossed sales of 500,000 units within eight months of its launch...
, Discover
Bajaj Discover
The Bajaj Discover is a motorcycle brand by Bajaj Auto. Currently there are two variants of Discover- Discover DTS-Si and Discover 150.The bike initially launched in the year 2004 has been a success in the Indian two Wheeler segment since then..-History:...
, Pulsar
Bajaj Pulsar
Bajaj Pulsar is a motorcycle brand owned by Bajaj Auto in India. The two wheeler was developed by the product engineering division of Bajaj Auto in association with motorcycle designer Glynn Kerr Tokyo R&D. Currently there are four variants available -with engine capacities of 135 cc,...
and Avenger
Bajaj Avenger
The Avenger is a cruiser style motorcycle designed and manufactured by Bajaj Auto in India. It draws the styling and other design cues from the Bajaj Eliminator which had an air-cooled, single-cylinder Kawasaki engine and was sold at a premium....
. Bajaj also produces many motorcycles for other manufacturers, such as the Kawasaki Ninja 250R
Kawasaki Ninja 250R
The Kawasaki Ninja 250R is a motorcycle originally introduced by Kawasaki in 1983. As the marque's entry-level sport bike,...
, and new for 2011, the KTM Duke 125. Cars include the Bajaj ULC ultra-low-cost car.
Low cost cars
Bajaj Auto says its $2,500 car, which it is building with RenaultRenault
Renault S.A. is a French automaker producing cars, vans, and in the past, autorail vehicles, trucks, tractors, vans and also buses/coaches. Its alliance with Nissan makes it the world's third largest automaker...
and Nissan Motor, will aim at a fuel-efficiency of 30 kilometres per litre (70.6 mpgU.S.) (3.3 L/100 km), or twice an average small car, and carbon dioxide emissions of 100 g/km. The car is scheduled to be launched in 2012.
It is a Tata Nano
Tata Nano
The Tata Nano is an inexpensive, rear-engined, four-passenger city car built by the Indian company Tata Motors and is aimed primarily at the Indian domestic market....
competitor. The Bajaj venture will have an initial capacity of 400,000 units, while Tata expects eventual demand of one million Nanos.