Bajaj family
Jamnalal Bajaj founded the group's predecessor in 1926, building on a cotton-ginning venture in Wardha, Maharashtra. Closely associated with Mahatma Gandhi and the independence movement, he moved from cotton trading into manufacturing, launching sugar milling in 1931 and steel production later in the decade.
How the fortune was built
The most consequential growth came under grandson Rahul Bajaj, who ran Bajaj Auto from 1965 and built it into one of the world's largest two- and three-wheeler makers. A 2007–08 restructuring split the conglomerate into three listed entities — Bajaj Auto, Bajaj Finserv, and Bajaj Holdings & Investment — letting each grow independently; Bajaj Finance became one of India's largest consumer-lending firms. The group today spans 40-plus companies with combined market value cited around $165 billion.
Where the family invests today
The family's listed investment vehicle, Bajaj Holdings & Investment Limited, holds strategic stakes in Bajaj Auto and Bajaj Finserv. The most significant recent move was Bajaj Finserv's 2025 acquisition of Allianz's 26% stake in their two-decade insurance joint ventures, for roughly €2.6 billion, giving the family full control of Bajaj Allianz Life and General Insurance rather than sharing it via joint venture.
Investing in India
See the full market guide for India — currency, exchange, regulator, and how everyday investors there put money to work.
Go to India →Other India families
Tata family
Jamsetji Tata, born in Navsari, Gujarat, founded a private trading firm in Bombay in 1868 with rough…
Telecom & digitalAmbani family
Dhirubhai Ambani began trading spices in the late 1950s before pivoting into synthetic textiles, ope…
CementBirla family
The family's trading business traces to 1857 in Pilani, Rajasthan; Ghanshyam Das ('G.D.') Birla late…
Ports & logisticsAdani family
Gautam Adani worked briefly as a diamond sorter in Mumbai before returning to Gujarat in 1981 to hel…
Consumer goodsGodrej family
Ardeshir Godrej, a lawyer turned entrepreneur, founded the business in a rented Mumbai shed in 1897,…
AutomotiveMahindra family
Brothers J.C. and K.C. Mahindra, with a partner, incorporated Mahindra & Mohammed in Ludhiana, Punja…
BankingHinduja family
Parmanand Deepchand Hinduja, from Sindh, moved to Bombay in 1914 to start a trading business, then i…
IT servicesPremji family
Wipro's predecessor, Western India Vegetable Products, was founded by Azim Premji's father in Amalne…
See the trends these families are backing
From family offices to venture investing — explore what's shaping capital across Asia.