Remembering Ramkrishna Bajaj

'A Century of Vision and Legacy', a retrospective exhibition held in Mumbai, honours visionary Ramkrishna Bajaj on his birth centenary.

Bajaj Heritage, the Archive of the Bajaj family, presents an exhibition ‘A Century of Vision and Legacy’ to celebrate the birth centenary of Ramkrishna Bajaj, the head of Bajaj Group of Industries— a humanitarian first, industrialist later. The exhibition narrates the remarkable story of a businessman, perhaps the only one in his generation, who grew up in the Gandhian values of ‘Simple Living, High Thinking’ to eventually leading one of the most successful business houses in independent India.

The Bajaj legacy

The youngest child of Jamnalal and Jankidevi Bajaj, Ramkrishna was born on 22 September 1923 in Wardha, where he studied at the Navabharat Vidyalaya. The seeds of patriotism and virtuousness were sown early on in his life. He left his studies to participate in the freedom struggle. Under the tutelage of social reformers Mahatma Gandhi and Vinoba Bhave, he gained practical, hands-on knowledge of the world. His adolescent experiences were enriched with his involvement with Satyagraha, the khadi movement and his engagement with constructive work.

Ramkrishna Bajaj was 17 when he got special permission from Gandhiji to participate in the individual Satyagraha in 1941. He intermittently spent three years in jail (1942-1945) for participating in the Quit India Movement. These guided his actions, thus leaving behind a unique legacy in ethical business practices, social welfare, and promotion of Gandhian values.