The secret behind Bajaj Auto's rise? Rajiv Bajaj credits Yoga, homoeopathy

Rajiv Bajaj said ideas drawn from yoga and homoeopathy have shaped Bajaj Auto’s approach to innovation, problem-solving and capability building. Speaking at the launch of the Rupa Rahul Bajaj Scholarship for Women in Engineering, the Bajaj Auto Managing Director said the principles of individualisation, holism and vitality have influenced the company’s growth strategy.

His remarks came days after he stepped down from the Bajaj Finserv board to reduce external commitments and take on additional responsibilities in the automobile business, including Bajaj Auto Technology Ltd., Bajaj Auto Credit Ltd., and the recent acquisition of KTM.

Bajaj said those principles helped steer Bajaj Auto from being a largely India-focused company 25 years ago into a global exporter serving 108 countries. Today, the company exports around 250,000 vehicles every month and has emerged as one of the world’s most valuable motorcycle manufacturers by market capitalisation.

Bajaj said his management philosophy draws from three principles borrowed from homoeopathy: individualisation, holism and vitality. Individualisation, he said, means recognising what makes a person or company unique rather than becoming consumed by comparisons. Holism means viewing challenges as part of a larger system instead of handling them in isolation. Vitality, meanwhile, is about building strength from within.

For Bajaj Auto, that meant investing in internal engineering capability rather than depending on imported technology or external partners. “One is to go out, bring some consultant or bring some partner or adopt somebody else’s technology. This is an outside-in approach. And one is to work from within — an inside-out approach,” Bajaj said. “Do you think without innovation we can do this? It doesn’t happen without innovation.”

He pointed to the company’s journey from a four-member team that developed the Pulsar in 2001 to an R&D organisation of around 1,500 engineers today. He said this focus on building capability from within helped Bajaj Auto evolve from a domestic manufacturer into a global company exporting to 108 countries.

On CSR, he said, “Create something remarkable”, urging the scholars to build something distinctive, useful and enduring in whatever path they choose. He linked the same idea of building strength from within to talent development. “The reason these girls are here is not because this is charity. They are here on their strength,” Bajaj said, referring to students who earned admission to some of the country’s most competitive engineering institutions.

Bajaj also outlined three broader truths that he believes shape both business and life: change, relativity and interdependence. Invoking Charles Darwin, he said survival belongs not to the strongest or most intelligent, but to the most adaptable. Relativity, he said, is about continuous improvement, while interdependence recognises that progress is rarely achieved alone.

Returning to the ideas of yoga and homoeopathy, Bajaj said Bajaj Auto’s growth rests on building capability rather than borrowing it. “All we have to do is be better today than we were yesterday,” Bajaj said.