Sanjiv Bajaj

Sanjiv Bajaj (born 2 November 1969) is an Indian billionaire businessman who currently serves as the chairman and managing director of Bajaj Finserv.[1][2]

Early life and education

Born into the Bajaj family, Sanjiv is the great-grandson of founder Jamnalal Bajaj and the younger son of Bajaj Group chairman Rahul Bajaj.[3]

He completed his education at a Swiss missionaries-run Catholic convent school.[4] He then pursued his mechanical engineering degree from the University of Pune, master's degree in manufacturing systems engineering from the University of Warwick, and his management degree from Harvard Business School.[5][6][7]

His elder brother Rajiv Bajaj is also involved in the management of Bajaj companies. His younger sister, Sunaina Kejriwal, was the director of the Kamalnayan Bajaj Hall and Art Gallery, and died in October 2024, aged 53, after battling cancer for three years.[8]

Career

Bajaj began his career in 1994 with Bajaj Auto.[9][10] During his years at Bajaj Auto, he held various leadership roles[11][12] in finance, legal, and international business functions within the organisation.[13][14][15] He was credited with bringing American-style supply chain management to Bajaj Auto, using General Motors as a model.[16][17][18] Currently, he serves as the non-executive director of Bajaj Auto.[19]

After Bajaj Auto's demerger in 2007, Bajaj took charge as the managing director of Bajaj Finserv.[20][21][22] Also, he took on additional roles like the chairman of Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance and Bajaj Allianz General Insurance, vice chairman of Bajaj Finance, and managing director of Bajaj Holdings & Investment Limited in 2012.[23] Market analysts indicated in 2015 that Bajaj is shaping his company in a manner similar to GE Capital.[24][25] In 2023, he led the launch of Bajaj Finserv Mutual Fund.[26]

Bajaj was the deputy chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Western Region for 2018–19.[27] He was also elected as the chairman of the CII Western Region for 2019–20.[27] For 2020–21, he was elected as the vice president of CII.[28] In June 2021, he got elected as the President Designate of CII for 2021–22.[29][30] In May 2022, he took charge as the President of CII for 2022–23.[31][32]

Currently, he is the chairman and managing director of Bajaj Finserv.[33][34][35] He was reappointed as managing director for five years in May 2022.[36]

As a part of the Confederation of Indian Industry's B20 India Secretariat, Bajaj was appointed as one of the B20 India participants, a position in which he fulfilled a part of a group that led the business agenda during India's G-20 presidency.[37][38]

Controversies

In January 2022, Bajaj and his company's higher management were threatened by a hacker for a possible cyber security attack on his group companies.[39]

Personal life

Sanjiv is married to Shefali Bajaj and they have two kids.[7]

Awards

• Transformational Leader Award (large-cap category) 2017 at the Asian Center's Leadership, Corporate Governance, Sustainability, & CSR Awards.[40]
• Bombay Management Association 2015-2016: – Entrepreneur of the Year Award.[41]
• Businessworld India's Most Valuable CEOs 2016.[41][42]
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2017.[43][44][45]
• Economic Times Awards for Business Leader of the Year 2018.[46]
• All India Management Association's Managing India Awards - Entrepreneur of the Year 2019.[47]
• Financial Express: Banker of the Year 2019.[48]

Further reading