 The
Bajaj Group came into existence during the
turmoil and the heady euphoria of India's freedom
struggle. The Late Shri Jamnalal Bajaj, the
founder of the Bajaj Group, was a confidante and
disciple of Mahatma Gandhi. Integrity, dedication,
resourcefulness and determination to succeed, which
are the characteristics of the Company today, are
often traced back to those days of relentless devotion
to a common cause.
Today, Rahul Bajaj is the Head of the Group.
He has been the Chief Executive Officer of
Bajaj since 1968 and is recognised as one of the
most outstanding business leaders in India. As dynamic
and ambitious as his illustrious predecessors, he
has been recognised for his achievements at various
national and international foray.
 Bajaj
Auto is currently India's largest two and three-wheeler
manufacturer and one of the biggest in the world.
It has long left behind its annual turnover of
Rs.72 million (1968), to currently register an
impressive figure of Rs.39 billion (US $ 920 million).
The company is committed to high quality standards
with a motive for productivity behind it. Its
constant drive for perfection and the single-minded
pursuit of excellence of its people makes it one
of the largest manufacturers of two and three-wheelers
and gives it the resilience to take on competition
from the world's biggest players. This commitment
starts with the top management and extends to
every worker on the shop floor.
Its growth in volumes, profitability and market
share, year after year, is possible only because
every aspect of its operations is managed to perfection
through effective management systems, HRD initiatives
and quality assurance and control.
 Its
products are more than just a process output.
They are an expression of creative and innovative
energies, in which technology plays a passionate
role. And in the midst of all this, Bajaj Auto
has never lost sight of the human factor. Acutely
tuned to lifestyles and social conditions, Bajaj
engineers are trained to develop products that
precisely match consumer needs. The process of
achieving such high levels of quality begins at
the product development stage itself and continues
right up to the time the vehicle stands gleaming
in a dealer showroom.
During the elaborate development procedure, prototypes
over three different stages are subjected to a
battery of laboratory and field tests. Besides
supervising the pre-production process, Quality
Assurance lays down norms for the vendor force.
Their close interaction ensures that agreed quality
levels are unfailingly maintained.
 On
the shop floor, mistakes are not rectified but
they are prevented. Cell members conduct a scrupulous
self-inspection of components while Quality Control
experts measure and improve manufacturing processes
through the application of statistical tools.
Every engine and transmission assembly, and finally
every vehicle go through a series of static and
dynamic product verification checks by 'Quality
Control' before clearance for dispatch to the
dealers.
The process of quality control is extended to
its dealerships and its sales and service outlets
where every dealer conducts an extensive pre-delivery
inspection before a vehicle is delivered to a
customer. Workshops are manned by skilled company-trained
mechanics and equipped with appropriate tools,
testing facilities and adequate stocks of spare
parts.
The determined effort to optimise employee output
has led to the adoption of the unique V1-V10 system
of cellular manufacture. This model calls for
a continuous minimisation ofall inputs - space,
men, material, and equipment - to achieve the
same level of output.
Results have been creditable. Manpower productivity
measured in terms of number of vehicles per year
has grown by 88% in this decade alone. More significantly,
the increase in capacity at Bajaj Auto in recent
years has been largely due to a surge in productivity
rather than a rise in investment.
Based on their our own brand of globalisation,
Bajaj Auto has built their own distribution network
in over 60 countries worldwide and multiplied
exports from 1% of total turnover in fiscal 1989-90
to over 5% in fiscal 1996-97.
The countries where their products have a large
market are Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bangladesh,
Sri Lanka, Italy, Sweden, Germany, Iran and
Egypt. Bajaj Auto leads Colombia with 65%
of the scooter market, in Uruguay with 30% of
the motorcycle market and in Bangladesh with 95%
of the three-wheeler market.
Address: Akurdi, Pune Mumbai Highway,
Pune - 411 036.
Phone: 747 2851/ 747 3898.
Fax: 747 3398
URL:www.bajajauto.com
Text & photos: Bajaj Auto
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