Legacy reloaded

From sugar mills in Uttar Pradesh to Mumbai's high-street retail, a new generation of scions is reshaping India's old businesses

- BY NACHIKET KELKAR

In 1931, when the British still ruled the subcontinent, Jamnalal Bajaj established India's first sugar mill—Hindusthan Sugar Mills, the entity that would evolve into Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar. Over decades, the group expanded into energy and consumer care, becoming a household name with brands such as Bajaj Almond Drops Hair Oil.

Now, nine decades later, history is being made again at the company. Anandamayi Bajaj, the fifth-generation scion of the founder, has joined the business. She is the first woman in the family to step into the Bajaj Group's operational fold.

The 22-year-old graduate in Financial Economics and Mathematics from Columbia University is currently on the ground, travelling across the group's sugar factories in Uttar Pradesh. For now, she is working closely with the leadership teams of Bajaj Energy, Bajaj Consumer and Bajaj Hindusthan Sugar to master the nitty-gritty of the business. “I recognise that I am stepping into a space built by generations of hard work, and I feel responsible for carrying that legacy forward in a meaningful way,” said Anandamayi.

Her entry marks a cultural shift in a group with roots in a traditional Marwari family. Kushagra Bajaj, chairman of the group and Anandamayi's father, insists that the old ways are gone. "In earlier times, the girl wouldn't get anything or get only a little bit. The business would have to be taken care of by the boys," Kushagra said. "That differentiation, at least in my eyes, is no longer there. It has to work on meritocracy, on capability. If she has fire in her belly, why not give her a chance?"

Anandamayi is aware that her every move will be watched. "Even though I feel supported and included, I know I must prove myself through results, effort and continuous learning," she said. "I want to demonstrate that opportunity and responsibility must go hand-in-hand, especially in a family-led business."