The Godrej Group is an Indian conglomerate headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India, managed and largely owned by the Godrej family. It was founded by Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej in 1897, and operates in sectors as diverse as real estate, consumer products, industrial engineering, appliances, furniture, security and agricultural products. Subsidiaries and affiliated companies include Godrej Industries and its subsidiaries Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Agrovet, and Godrej Properties, as well as the private holding company Godrej & Boyce.
In 1897 a young man named Ardeshir Godrej gave up law and turned to lock-making. Ardeshir went on to make safes and security equipment of the highest order, and then stunned the world by creating toilet soap from vegetable oil. His brother Pirojsha Godrej carried Ardeshir's dream forward, leading Godrej towards becoming a vibrant, multi-business enterprise. Pirojsha laid the foundation for the sprawling industrial garden township now called Pirojshanagar in the suburbs of Mumbai, where the Godrej Group has its headquarters.
1897- Godrej is established in 1897
1902 - Godrej makes its first Indian Safe
1918 - Godrej Soaps Limited incorporated
1961- Godrej Started Manufacturing Forklift Trucks in India
1971- Godrej Agrovet Limited began as an Animal Feeds division of Godrej Soaps
1974 - Veg oils division in Wadala, Mumbai acquired
1990 - Godrej Properties Limited, another subsidiary, established
1991 - Foods business started
1994 - Transelektra Domestic Products acquired
1995 - Transelektra forged a strategic alliance with Sara Lee USA
1999 - Transelektra renamed Godrej Sara Lee Limited and incorporated Godrej Infotech Ltd.
2001 - Godrej Consumer Products was formed as a result of the demerger of Godrej Soaps Limited. Godrej Soaps renamed Godrej Industries Limited
2002 - Godrej Tea Limited set up
2003 - Entered the BPO solutions and services space with Godrej Global Solutions Limited
2004 - Godrej HiCare Limited set up to provide a Safe Healthy Environment to customers by providing professional pest management services
2006 - Foods business was merged with Godrej Tea and Godrej Tea renamed Godrej Beverages & Foods Limited
2007 - Godrej Beverages & Foods Limited formed a JV with The Hershey Company of North America and the company was renamed Godrej Hershey Foods & Beverages Limited
2008 - Godrej relaunched itself with new colourful logo and a fresh identity music
2010 - Godrej launched GoJiyo a free, browser based 3D virtual world
2011 - Godrej & Boyce shuts down its typewriter manufacturing plant, the last in the world.
2014 - Godrej kick-starts Masterbrand 2.0 – bigger & brighter; Launches FreeG; India’s first non-web based mobile browsing experience, 18 November 2014
2015 - Godrej launched its food blog, Vikhroli Cucina.
Godrej has a philanthropic arm that has built schools, dispensaries and a residential complex for their employees. Trusts established by Godrej continue to invest in education, healthcare and upliftment of the underprivileged. Godrej is a supporter of the World Wildlife Fund in India, it has developed a green business campus in the Vikhroli township of Mumbai, which includes 200 acr mangrove forest and a school for the children of company employees.
Twenty-five percent of the shares of the Godrej holding company are held in trusts that include the Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation[6] and the Godrej Memorial Trust. Through these trusts the Group supports healthcare, education and environmental sustainability initiatives such as The Mangroves,[7] Teach for India, WWF, Smile Train and the Godrej Memorial Hospital among others.
The Godrej group can be broadly divided into two major holding companies, working independently:
- Godrej Industries Ltd
- Godrej & Boyce
The major companies, subsidiaries and affiliates are
Chemical & commodities
Godrej Industries
Chemicals
Veg Oils
Consumer Goods
Godrej Consumer Products
Keyline Brands UK
Rapidol South Africa
Godrej Global Mideast FZE
Godrej Indonesia - HIT, STELLA, MITU, Household
Godrej SCA Hygiene Limited
Godrej Hershey Foods & Beverages Limited
Nutrine
Godrej Sara Lee
AGRI
Godrej Agrovet
Animal Feeds
Goldmohur Foods and Feeds
Golden Feed Products
Higashimaru Feed Products
Oil Palm
Agri Inputs
Godrej Aadhaar
Nature's Basket
Integrated Poultry Business
Plant Biotech
Services
Godrej HiCare (Pest Management Services)
Godrej Global Solutions (ITES)
Godrej Properties
Godrej Infotech
In 1897, Godrej Introduced the first lock with lever technology in India.
In 1902, Godrej made the first Indian safe.
In 1920, Godrej made soap using vegetable oil, which was a huge hit with the vegetarian community in India
In 1955, Godrej produced India's first indigenous typewriter
In 1989, Godrej became the first Indian company to introduce PUF ( Polyurethane Foam)
Introduced India's first and only 100% CFC, HCFC, HFC free refrigerators (Claim to be validated)
GCPL, the Highest Ranked Indian FMCG in Asia's Hot Growth Companies' List by Business Week
Godrej Consumer Products Ltd. has been ranked 14th in The Best Companies to Work For study. This study was jointly conducted by Business Today, Mercer and Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS)
Godrej Consumer Products Ranks 6th in ET-Hewitt Best Employers of India survey
GCPL ranked 15th in Great Places to Work 2006 survey
The Corporate Citizen of the Year Award given by Economic Times.
Flagship brands Goodknight, Cinthol and Ezee selected Superbrands by the Superbrands Council
Godrej Sara Lee, the JV between the Godrej Group and Sara lee Corporation, USA is acknowledged the World's largest mat manufacturers and South Asia's largest manufacturers of Coils.
Godrej Consumer Products Limited, adjudged as a Business Superbrand by the Super Brands Council.
The Return on Capital Employed and Return on Net Worth ratios of Godrej Consumer Products - the highest in corporate India.
Godrej Consumer Products was awarded the "Best Managed Workforce" award given by Hewitt Associates and CNBC TV18.
Godrej Consumer Products features in the Top 25 list of Great Places to Work (survey conducted by GrowTalent in association with Business World) for four years in a row.
Lifetime Achievement Award for Godrej Industries from CHEMEXCIL, the Basic Chemicals Pharmaceuticals and Cosmetics Exports Promotion Council.
The Brand Trust Report published by Trust Research Advisory, a brand analytics company, ranked Godrej in 6th position in India's Most Trusted brands report on 29 January 2013.
