Jamnalal was adopted by businessman Seth Bachhraj Bajaj at the age of 5. Seth Bachhraj (Bajaj) was a distant relative on his father’s side and a well-known and respected trader in the British Raj. Jamnalal got involved in the family business of his adoptive family and acquired the skills of being a tradesman in rigorous bookkeeping and buying and selling commodities.
Jamnalal married Janaki Devi when he was 12 and she was 8. She was married to Jamnalal Bajaj, a boy from her own community and a similar family. Her father, Girdharilal Jajodia, was said to have a retinue of workers at his command—managers, servants, clerks and accountants. From the glitter of gold and silver, Janaki Devi moved into the sparkling world of diamonds and pearls.
Completes education and joins Seth Bachhraj Bajaj’s business, learning about trade and commerce. Seth Bachharaj Bajaj was a wealthy businessman from Wardha, Maharashtra, who adopted Jamnalal Bajaj into his family, played a significant role in mentoring Jamnalal and imparting business skills to him, laying the foundation for Jamnalal’s success in the business world.
During World War I, the British government respected and praised Indian merchants, asking for donations. They made Jamnalal an honorary judge. When he gave money for the war, they gave him the title of Rai Bahadur. However, during the non-cooperation movement of 1921, he gave up this title.
Jamnalal Bajaj was actively involved in cotton trading with his uncle Seth Bachhraj, a significant sector of India’s economy during the pre-independence era. He recognized the exploitation by British companies, who would import cheap raw cotton from India and export finished cloth back, perpetuating economic imbalance. Bajaj’s involvement in cotton trading allowed him to witness the firsthand injustice of colonial economic policies, motivating him to join the Independence movement led by Mahatma Gandhi.
He was passionate about various initiatives, including ending untouchability, promoting Hindi language, and supporting Khadi and village industries. He extensively traveled throughout the country to advocate for Khadi. In 1925, he was appointed as the treasurer of the All-India Spinners Association.
He served as the president of the All India Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, a literary convention aimed at promoting Hindi as the common language for all Indians. He played a key role in publishing Hindi magazines and books, fostering the growth of Hindi literature. Bajaj initiated the Gandhi Hindi Pustak Bhandar, a bookshop in Bombay dedicated to Hindi literature, and established the Sasta Sahitya Mandal, a publishing house dedicated to making literature affordable and accessible to all.
He founded the Bajaj Group of companies in 1926. He was greatly influenced by Mahatma Gandhi and adopted Gandhian principles in both his personal life and business practices. By aligning his business operations with values such as quality and integrity, he not only ran a successful enterprise but also actively participated in India’s freedom movement. The group now comprises 40 companies and its flagship company Bajaj Auto is ranked as the world’s fourth largest two and three-wheeler manufacturer.
In his hometown, Wardha, he took a stand against untouchability by challenging the exclusion of Harijans from Hindu temples. Despite objections from orthodox Hindu priests and Brahmins, he opened his family temple, the Laxmi Narayan Mandir, to Harijans in 1928. Initiating a campaign, he ate meals with Harijans and allowed them access to public wells. Additionally, he opened numerous wells in his fields and gardens to ensure their inclusion and equality.
Supports the Salt Satyagraha and Quit India Movement, actively participating in India’s struggle for independence. In his fight against British rule, he established the Satyagraha Ashram in Wardha, participated in the non-cooperation movement of 1921, the Nagpur Jhanda Satyagraha in 1923, the boycott of the Simon Commission in 1929, the Salt Satyagraha in 1930 and the Anti-war Campaign in 1941.
On 11 February 1942, Jamnalal Bajaj, at the age of 53, took his last breath at his Wardha home. On the third day of Jamnalal’s death, Mahatma Gandhi, while addressing a gathering of the inmates of the Ashram, broke down as he was saying: “Childless people adopt sons. But Jamnalalji adopted me as a father. He should have been an heir to my all. Instead, he has left me an heir to his all.”
The Jamnalal Bajaj Seva Trust, founded in 1942. The trust empowers underprivileged communities, focusing on women and rural development. It established key institutions like the Vishwaneedam center and the Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies. Today, it promotes arts and culture through the Kamalnayan Bajaj Hall and Art Gallery and supports women’s empowerment initiatives like the Hamaara Sapna program.
JBIMS (Jamnalal Bajaj Institute of Management Studies), was founded by the University of Mumbai in collaboration with the Graduate School of Business, Stanford University with donation from the Jamnalal Bajaj Sewa Trust. JBIMS is known for delivering first-class transcendent quality management education in India for the past five decades.
Indian government issued a commemorative stamp honoring national figures. One such stamp featured Jamnalal Bajaj, a prominent industrialist. His name, “Jamnalal Bajaj,” appeared in both Hindi and English, along with his birth and death years (1889-1942). With a face value of 20 paise, this stamp served as a tribute to Bajaj’s contributions to India’s development.
The Jamnalal Bajaj Awards are prestigious annual awards established by the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation and are given away each year on his birth anniversary. People who win this award get a trophy and prize money, for helping others. Even famous people like Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu have won this award.
The awards are categorized into four categories: