Today, Minal Bajaj is actively heading various activities of the Jamnalal Bajaj Foundation (JBF) as its Honorary Director, since 2009. She is involved in every aspect of the Foundation’s activities related to the Jamnalal Bajaj Awards initiative or looking into various potential developmental projects of other organization to provide financial aid. Minal significantly contributes to the awards work such as policy matters, overall management, screening the nominations, supporting the Selection Committee and the Council of Advisors in the nomination shortlisting and selection process respectively, travelling to the interior rural areas to assess the work of the shortlisted nominees, or planning the publicity and promotional campaign and directing the overall arrangements of the awards function. These awards were instituted to honour the selfless contribution of people working in line with Jamnalalji’s philanthropic vision as also Gandhian values of rural development, for the upliftment and development of disadvantaged people.
In her multifaceted role within the Bajaj Group her involvement and leadership has extended beyond the Foundation to sports, art and cultural initiatives, instituting her own NGO for the upliftment of marginalised urban women as well as creating the Bajaj Family Archives.
In the Centenary year of the Indian Merchants’ Chamber (IMC) in 2007-2008, Minal was the President of the IMC Ladies’ Wing (her husband Niraj Bajaj was the President of the main Chamber). During her tenure, she along with the Committees organised various activities focusing on the theme `Beyond Empowerment – Celebrating the complete Woman’. The over 40 programmes organized during the year, witnessed moments and opportunities to understand the distress and ecstasy and celebrate the successes of women from various walks of life. Presently, Minal continues to contribute to the IMC Ladies’ Wing.
In 2012, Minal founded Hamaara Sapna, her NGO in Mumbai. It is a culmination of a long held dream to give these often illiterate and home bound women a sense of self respect, self-confidence and relevant skills to navigate an increasingly complex world. Along with English, yoga, self-defense and computers, these ladies are taught tailoring with Khadi, thus promoting the ideology of self-reliance and Swadesh which was the belief of the guiding hands of the Bajaj Family. Minal encourages her beneficiaries to consider Hamaara Sapna Centres as their maika (mother’s home). She believes that numbers are not important. Even if she is able to bring a smile and transform the life of a single woman, it is soul enriching.
Minal has taken her love for art, culture and sports to action. As a donor trustee of JBF, Minal was actively involved at every stage of the restoration process of Dr. Bhaudaji Lad Museum, India’s second oldest museum. As an avid sports fan, she extensively contributes her time, ideas and organizational skills to the Olympic Gold Quest which supports Indian athletes to compete at the ultimate global sporting event – The Olympics, and to Ultimate Table Tennis as the Director of India’s top league for table tennis co-founded by her husband Niraj Bajaj.
More recently, on behalf of the Bajaj Family Minal Bajaj has been in-charge to create, direct and take ahead the Bajaj Family Archives titled `Bajaj Family Heritage’ with the involvement of professional archivists.
On the corporate front, Minal is also the Non-Executive Director in Baroda Industries, which is part of the Bajaj Group. She has other Directorships in the other group companies likes Hind Musafir Agency Ltd., The Hindustan Housing Company Limited looking after the administrative affairs of the Bajaj Corporate office.
Minal is a firm believer of the concept of a joint family. Amongst friends and family, she is known to be the person to call if you need something done. An exemplar of the family motto of `walk the talk’, she believes in quietly conducting her work in the highest quality with formidable attention to detail and a knack for adding her personal touch.
She is an avid traveller with a keen interest in solving crosswords, reading, theatre and music.
