{"id":2692,"date":"2020-12-04T09:23:16","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T09:23:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/doerlife.com\/?p=2692"},"modified":"2020-12-04T10:09:01","modified_gmt":"2020-12-04T10:09:01","slug":"godrej-group-the-fascinating-123-years-journey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebglory.com\/doerlife.com\/godrej-group-the-fascinating-123-years-journey\/","title":{"rendered":"GODREJ GROUP \u2013The Fascinating 123 years Journey"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\u201cCorporate Governance should be done more through principles than rules\u201d –Adi Godrej<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Godrej group shares its identity with few select others on the list of India\u2019s oldest companies established before an independent India. The fascinating 123 years journey began in 1897 when Adeshir Godrej and his brother Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej started Godrej and Boyce. The Godrej group is an Indian conglomerate operating in sectors as diverse as consumer products, food products, retail convenience stores, real estate, industrial engineering, electrical appliances, furniture, security and agricultural products under its subsidiaries Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Industries, Godrej Properties, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd., and Godrej Agrovet. The Godrej group is ably led by Adi Godrej, his brother, Nadir Godrej, and their cousin Jamshyd Godrej to greater heights.\u00a0The conglomerate continues to be one of the oldest and most respected Indian family businesses.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Image Credits: Legal Era<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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When \u2018Make in India\u2019 was not accepted<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The story begins with a young Ardeshir Godrej who gave up law to pursue a dream in starting a business.\u00a0 At the beginning of his career he decided to work in a company till he could get his business idea up and running. He borrowed some money from a friend of his father, to manufacture scalpels, forceps, scissors and pincers. When he showed his pieces to the owner of the company he worked for, the owner was quite impressed by the high quality of the products and was even ready to buy it. But let\u2019s not forget the year was 1897. Adeshir requested the product be tagged ‘Made in India’, and that was the end of his business venture.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Godrej
Image credits: Live history India<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Pre-independence<\/strong><\/h4>\n

After a failed attempt with medical equipment, Adeshir Godrej bought a small shed in Lalbaugh, Mumbai, to manufacture locks called \u2018Anchor\u2019. The high-security locks gathered popularity in Colonial India, laying the foundation for the Godrej Group. In 1909, the company added and patented the new springless<\/em> lock.<\/p>\n

By 1902, it started to manufacture steel safes noticing the incidence of thefts rising. In 1944, the safe business got a major boost with the incident of the freighter SS Fort Stikine. When it exploded on the Bombay docks, the only thing which remained unharmed were the fireproof Godrej safes allowing every item including paper to be retrieved in perfect condition from them.<\/p>\n

Business was growing when Adershir Godrej decided to enter the slippery business of soap making. He incorporated Godrej Soaps Limited in 1918. In 1920, the company launched the first \u2018vegetarian soap – Chavi\u2019 replacing animal fat that became a big hit with the vegetarian community in India. What followed were other soaps called No.2, No.1, Vatni that came around 1932 which had a tag line \u2013 Made in India, for Indians, by Indians. <\/em>Much later the name Cinthol <\/em>would be etched in history.<\/p>\n

In 1923, Godrej made its first steel cupboard or almirah. The eponymous range of steel cupboards has stood the test of time, with continued demand to date.<\/p>\n

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From \u2018Swadeshi\u2019 to \u2018Make In India\u2019<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Today, the USD 4.15 billion global conglomerate group has contributed largely to the economic growth of a self-reliant India. From manufacturing the first indigenous safe, to vegetarian soap, Godrej was lying the foundation to a new modern India with products that were manufactured in India, affordable and at par with the world\u2019s best. Its growth continues to emanate from its factory floors. The group now led by the third and fourth generations of the Godrej family is constantly innovating products, entering into mergers and acquisitions, and investing in emerging markets in Africa and Asia. It employs 28,000 employees and has business operations in 60 countries.<\/p>\n

Here is the company over the years –<\/p>\n