The precursor to Bajaj Auto had been formed on November 29, 1945, as M/s Bachraj Trading Ltd. The present Chairman of the group, Rahul Bajaj, took charge of the business in 1965. The company is headquartered in Pune, Maharashtra. As of 2018, the company has a distribution network of 485 dealers and over 1,600 authorized service centres across India. Its three manufacturing facilities are located in Waluj (Maharashtra), Chakan (Maharashtra) and Pant Nagar (Uttarakhand).
The company began selling imported Bajaj two-wheeler and three-wheeler vehicles in 1948. It obtained a manufacturing license from the Indian government in 1959. In 1971, the company launched its first three-wheeled goods carrier. The turning point for the company came just a year later when they launched the iconic Chetak. The Chetak later began to write numerous success stories for the marque.