Change July Aug

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house magazineThe VOL. 7 NO. 4July'07- Aug.07

Social Responsibility:

An agenda beyond business

SOCIARE

NESS

ALAW

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SOCALA

WRNS

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ELTHHAELTHHA

DE UCATIOND CT

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NVIRO NTE NMENTENVIRONME


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Between UsDoing good is good business

1

Cover StorySocial Responsibility of Business

2

Beyond BusinessT he DN A of Social C onsciousness

5

Environmental ConcernsEnvironment Pr otection and C orporate

Responsibility

14

Reflect. Restore. ReimagineT he Birth of the Industrial Township

18

Know your Divisional HeadGeorge Menezes - If you care you can21

In MemoriumMeherjibhai D Morawalla: A tribute to the

legend, who pioneered the art of Tool-making

at Godrej

26

Our Achievers 39

HomeBase 28

C O N T E N TC O N T E N TC O N T E N TC O N T E N TC O N T E N T SSSSS


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Doing good is good businessThere is a new consciousness on the rise across the world, which believes that good

businesses are those, who are not only doing well financially but are also contributing

significantly for the improvement of surrounding social environment. Even the stock

markets are rewarding companies performing well on both, business and social dimensions.

In this issue of CHANGE, Prof. Harshada Mulay writes on what Corporate Social

Responsibility is, the new emerging, models of CSR and how more and more businesses

adopting them will lead to greater inclusive growth, which in turn will help uplift millions

of poor out of poverty.

Godrej has been amongst the leaders in the area of CSR for many years. Family planning,

health care, primary and secondary education, protecting and nurturing of environment

especially mangroves, green business initiatives are amongst our noteworthy contributions.Our low-key approach has kept these contributions out of sight of many, hence CHANGE

decided to take a re-look at them.

Godrej also has been a pioneer in adapting many progressive employee-oriented practices

in the country even before the law mandated the same. The examples being providing for

provident fund, gratuity on retirement without limit, medical expenses and so on. Some

years back the entire Godrej industrial complex was declared a Non-smoking zone, an

initiative well ahead of others.

This issue of CHANGE also carries a forthright and insightful interview of George Menezes,

CEO of the Appliance Division. The interview has many good lessons for fresh and

experienced Godrejites.

Our environmental expert Dr. Maya Mahajan has written on how caringly we look after

our Mangroves. Our archivists, Vrunda Pathare and Sanghamitra Sen, have traced the

development of our Industrial Township. Both these pieces make interesting reading.

Our former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam recently handed over a replica of Mobile

Autonomous Launchers to General JJ Singh, the Chief of Army Staff. MALs are being

supplied by our PES Division-this prestigious event is captured in the photo essay.

Mr. MD Morawalla, the founding father of our Toolroom Division, passed away some

time ago. We pay him a tribute underscoring his valuable contributions specially those

related to the shaping of unique work culture in our toolroom.

To get a flavour of things happening across the organisation do read our Home basesection.

The theme for the next issue of change is SPEED. Hope you will send us your contributions

on the topics related to the theme.

Do send us write-ups, good quality photographs and feedback on what you like and what

you don't about CHANGE.

A relief from the sweltering heat of summer, the monsoon creates an ideal setting to

read and reflect. Do read CHANGE.

Indrapal Singh

1

Editorial Board

Anil G VermaG Sunderraman

Harpreet Kaur

Jui Karandikar

Megha Moorthy

Co-ordinators

AI Buvaneshwar (East)

FK Khapoliwalla (West)

Sushil Thariani (North)

Vinod Kumar (South)

Distributors

Nariman Bacha

SR Marolia

Consulting EditorIndrapal Singh

Designed by

Uday Kamat

C Karunaharan

Printed by

Genius Printers Pvt. Ltd.

Edited and published by

Indrapal Singh on behalf ofGodrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.,

Mumbai-400 079.

For private circulation only.

BET WEEN US


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2

C OVER ST ORY

ur Pime Minister, Dr. ManmohanSingh, has been repeatedly urgingIndian business corporations to

pursue inclusive growth for theupliftment of millions of Indians living

in abject poverty.

Social responsibility of business is astrategic imperative, if adapted andpursued by businesses, can help societyat large and the poor of the countryin particular, to rise above pathetic,hopeless social milieu in which theymight spend rest of their lives.

Essentially, it is not a new concept forthe businesses but the visibility it has

received lately and the vigour by whichsome of the leading industrial housesof India have been pursuing it, is indeedsomething remarkable and new in ourcountry.

What is CSR?

Corporate Social Responsibility

refers to making business decisionswhich are governed by compliance tolegal standards, values of business

which are essentially ethical in natureand a deep respect for citizens and

communities as well as encompassingenvironment. It involves acomprehensive set of policies,practices and programmes that are

highly integrated with businessoperations and other strategic businessprocesses. The corporation whichclaims to be socially responsible must

meet or exceed expectations of its

stakeholders in legal, commercial inthe domains of the law, ethics andgreater good.

Corporations execute their socialresponsibility in many ways. Some

incorporate it in their missionstatements, others set specificperformance indices and yet othercorporations pursue CSR withoutany formal articulation. Regardless of

how CSR gets executed, the keyfocus is always on the soundrelationship with all stakeholders andmeeting or exceeding theirexpectations in the domainsmentioned earlier.

CSR is good business

By no stretch of imagination it can besaid that social responsibility is out ofsync with good business practices. In

fact they are mutually supportive andreinforcing as they jointly help buildand strengthen lasting relationshipswith the stakeholders of thecorporation.

Consumers, employees, investors andpublic at large are increasinglydemanding information on theperformance of a corporation on asocial dimension. Today no businesscan choose and do whatever it could

do regardless of its impact on thesociety in general.

Investors are concerned about theeconomic performance of the businessbut are increasingly looking atperformance in the social sector asthey are aware that the long-termsustainability of the business dependsheavily on the performance in boththe spheres - economic and social.People are unwilling to turn a blind

eye to socially insensitive acts of thebusinesses. In fact in the developingcountries shareholders punish severelythe businesses which act in a sociallyirresponsible way.

Social Responsibilityof Business

Today no businesscan choose anddo whatever it

wants to doregardless of itsimpact on the

society in general

O


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3

Benefits of CSR

Many benefits accrue to thestakeholders of the socially responsiblecorporations. Customers of sociallyresponsible corporations are assuredthat the products they purchase willnot only meet performance standardsbut will also be safe besidesthat theywill not hurt the public or in any waydamage the environment

.They can be

assured of an honest deal devoid ofhidden costs and not so noticeablemalpractices.

Investors of socially responsiblecorporations can be assured of thefact that they will not only get goodreturns but will contribute indirectlyto bring about a positive socialchange. Employees can look forwardto appropriate salaries and benefits

as well as healthy work-environmentwhere ample opportunities for doinggood work exists. Many studies haveshown that companies which aresocially responsible attract high-

calibre employees who as they work

along enjoy a more positive self-

image as opposed to those who

work for the companies which are

not socially conscious.

Community, in general, is a beneficiary of

a socially responsible corporation in terms

of employment, healthy environmental

impact, charities and compliance with thelaw and regulatory framework.

Lastly, social and environmental

activists also feel comfortable that

corporations increasingly aredischarging their socialresponsibil ities. They are restassured that the public in general isnot exposed to hazardous waste orenvironmentally damaging outcomes.

Thus, it is a win-win situation for all

stakeholders.

Models of CSR

Corporations fulfill their socialresponsibility essentially following


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4

one of the three different models.

Corporate philanthropy -Activities in this model of CSR mayinclude social investments, causerelated activities, volunteering forsocial contributions, public interestadvertising. Corporations in thismodel tend to be essentially givers

and they do help betterment ofsociety through their contributions.In India many corporations havedone a great deal of good work inthe area of promoting health,education, community development,helping the needy and donatingfunds for disaster relief. Benefits tosociety under this model do accruebut are not sustainable as theircontributions are not regenerativein nature.

Partnerships - Under this model ofCSR the companies generate resultsfor social action by deeply involvingthe beneficiaries. In the partnershipsthe company, social organisers andgovernment bodies carve out together,substantial benefits for both businessand society are realised. Some of theinitiatives such as welfare-to-work,school-to-work, reforms in education

system are outcomes of thepartnership model.

Strategic Business Interest

Activities Under this model ofCSR some of the corporations pursueonly those activities which will enablethem to meet the requirements ofstrategic business development. Atfirst glance, this model may sound abit mercenary; but in the long runpursuing such activities do yield

results which are sustainable. In factpursuing CSR strategically helpsstrengthen all the three bottomlinesnamely; financial, social andenvironmental. Some examples of theactivities under this model are venturephilanthropy, talent development inpartnerships, skill development andadoption of newer technologies EChoupal a well known rural initiativeof ITC, is a good example of Strategic

Business Interest (SBI) related CSRand so is Wipros entry into businessof processsing E-Waste.

As our economy develops, theemphasis is likely to shift towards

things which are envy of thecorporations in monopolisticeconomies.

In India Tata group is the unquestionedleader in the field, though their focusremains mainly philanthropic in nature.They are moving towards onesustainable model of Strategic Business

Interest.Third generation CSR

This model of CSR involvesdelivering sustainable developmentthrough the pursuit of business goals.As against phi lanthropy whichinvolves using ones profits orpartnerships model which involvescollectively finding ways to deliversustainable value, this approachinvolves identifying such activites,

which if pursued will result in greatersocietal and environmental good[such as reducing the consumptionof increasingly scarce naturalresources.] Existing initiatives suchas CII Godrej Green Business Centreprovides an example of thirdgeneration CSR. The vision of CIIand Sohrab Godrej Green BusinessCentre is to make India a leader ingreen business by 2015.

Conclusion

At the recently held CII summit onCSR, many outstanding cases/histories were showcased for thebenefit of participating companies. Itwas also demonstrated that CSR isnot only for the larger corporationsbut also for small and mediumenterprises as well.

Heightened social awareness, strong

commitment and expanded vision ofgreater India can only help us to movein the direction of inclusive growth.Only and only inclusive growth issustainable, as it will benefit millionsof underprivileged.

Unless the successful, fast growingcorporations contribute towardssocial development in significantway, the so cal led economicvictory could well be hollow and

shortlived.

Prof. Harshada Mulay

Vivekanand Education Societys Institute of

Management Studies & Research, Mumbai.

partnerships and SBI models ofCSR.

Communicating and Reporting

CSR

It is essentially upto a corporationas to what it wishes to communicateand report about CSR activities. Itwill be a good idea to communicate

and report performance on all thethree bottomlines - financial, socialand environmental. In fact, in thecoming years there might be aregulation in place which mightforce companies to be transparentabout its social responsibilities. Itis suggested that measuresundertaken for education,workplace safety, child labour,protection of environment, skill

development, etc., are some of theareas in which companiescommunicate their performance.

CSR in the Indian Context

JRD Tata had once remarked that Nobusiness is worthwile unless it servesthe need of the country and itspeople. This remark clarifies,brilliantly, the premise that thebusiness of business is not onlybusiness but beyond business. Tatas,Birlas, Godrej, Infosys, Wipro, Dr.Reddys Laboratories, Cipla are someof the major Indian corporations whichhave been delivering remarkably wellon the social dimension. Efforts aregenerally understated, unreported andunsung as they are driven by theirdeeply held values and beliefs, thesecompanies and others continue to do

No business isworthwhile

unless it servesthe need of thecountry and its

people


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5

BEYOND BUSINESS

Udayachal, the school run by the

Godrej group of companies,

surrounded by gulmohars, copper pods,green lawns and cooing birds means

Eastern mountain, where the sun,

moon and galaxies rise into the vast

expanse of the sky. It symbolises the

schools ideal - to help students from

even the humblest origins to rise to

the heights of a fulfilled life.

The schools motto Tamaso Ma

Jyotir Gamaya, means from darkness

to light. Education in the schools

focuses on total personalitydevelopment of the child, which is

enhanced and strengthened through

joyful learning. This takes into account

the physical, socio-emotional, aesthetic,

spiritual as well as mental growth,

rather than merely academic

progress.

The need for a school at

Vikhroli arose

when, 50

years ago, on his routine visits to the

company, Pirojsha Godrej was greatly

disturbed by the plight of theemployees children who, having

nothing else to do,were just wasting

their time roaming the factory

surroundings. Pirojshas youngest son

Naval, agreed with his father and

enthusiastically pursued the project.

Navals wife Soonu, affectionately

called Soonuben,

suggested involving

Cooverbai Vakil, a

n o t e d

educationist

a n d

product

o f

(Pic courtesy - Archives Dept.) Udayachal School at Pirojshanagar

The DNA ofSocialConsciousnessUdayachal Schools: Providing Quality Care and Education

he founders of Godrej

always had a highlyd e v e l o p e d

consciousness, which drovethem to undertake initiativeswhich today can be said to befalling under the heading of

Corporate Social Responsibility.These socially relevant initiativesundertaken over the years arein several different areas likefamily planning, education,primary health, housing, skillbuilding and the like. Yet theone common theme runningacross the initiatives is making

human life better in its totality.In order to give you a larger,consolidated picture, we presentherewith a collage of ourinitiatives, which by no means isexhaustive. But, the fact remains

that underneath every businessor non-business activityundertaken at Godrej, the DNAof social consciousness runsacross.

T


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Shanti-Niketan, in this endeavour.

Cooverbai together with her husband

had, many years earlier, opened a small

school in Pune, which was attended

by Soonu and the young Indira Gandhi.

The love of nature and fine arts, so

intrinsic to the philosophy of Shanti-

Niketan was central to the teaching

imparted at the Vakil School. Thisconcept appealed strongly to Pirojsha,

himself a staunch Gandhian, who with

the help of Soonu, brought in

Cooverbai to start Udayachal.

The School began in 1955 in a small

grain store, as a Bal Mandir. In those

early years, Soonu, together with

Cooverbai, Jyotsnaben, a teacher and

noted educationist who went on to

become the first Principal of the

school, and Alooben Mowdawallaworked tirelessly to recruit students.

They went from door to door in the

Godrej Housing Colony, explaining the

benefits of education, almost begging

employees to send their children to

the newly opened school! Initially, and

very reluctantly, their sons were sent

to school, leaving out their daughters

who were traditionally restricted to

be housewives.

In those early days, as the olderteachers recall, they had to actually

bathe and groom some of the children

before they entered the classroom!

Even today, individual needs are

catered to and nutritional supplements

and medical services provided.

For the parents, years of constant

exposure to cultural and educational

programmes including lectures by

eminent personalities, helped lay the

foundation for a holistic educational

system.

Gradually, the school grew into a 3

medium (Gujarati, Marathi and English),

3000 students strong centre of pre-

primary, primary and secondary

learning, with large airy classrooms and

playing fields.Despite a strong student

population a healthy teacher child ratio

of 1:30 ensures individual attention

given to each child.There were no entrance tests, and no

divisions on the basis of status, religion

or ethnic background. The only

condition for admission was that the

first two children, regardless of gender,

were accepted, the parents having to

be part of the programme of Family

Welfare run by the Management. Any

subsequent offspring had to get

admission in another school.

The school being totally subsidised

proved to be a great incentive for

keeping families small. Today, so manyparents are thankful that due to this

scheme they have been able to provide

so much more towards their childrens

future. Currently, Udayachal School,

caters to children other than those of

employees. This change was brought

in when the Chairman and Managing

Director of the company gave in to

repeated requests from local residents

who wanted their children to get the

quality education that the employees

children had enjoyed all these years.

This promotes interaction amongst

children of different castes, religions

and socio-economic milieu.

Right from the schools inception, the

family has had a hands-on approach

to the schools activities.

Pirojshas daughter-in-law Jai Burjor

Godrejs wife herself a highly

qualified educationist, taught English

and Mathematics in the High School.The strongly motivated teachers used

revolutionary methods, making the

school a trail-blazer in the field of

education.Today, ongoing training

programmes for teachers help keep

them up-to-date with the latest

theories and techniques. This equips

them to face the challenges that the

contemporary education scenario

presents. However, the traditional

Indian values remain dear to the

founders even today.

A teacher here plays various roles

that of a facilitator, counsellor,

guardian and is a learner herself.

Currently, with a greater demand for

English as the medium of instruction,

the school is phasing out the other

language sections. However, children

learn songs in the different Indian

languages, and their assemblies and

cultural programmes always reflect thevariety and richness of our cultural

heritage. From Lezim to

Bharatanatyam, from Yoga to

traditional Martial Arts, from Bhajans

to Ghazals, all these find a place in the

curriculum. It is this inclusion of a rich

variety of co-curricular activities that

help sculpt individuals with a strong

personality.

Great emphasis is laid on creativity

in fact the school is pioneer in recycling

such waste material as paper, glass,

metal, plastic etc in their art and craftclasses, also using them to make

teaching aids.Even computer paper is

transformed into objects made of

papier-mache.Udayachal School is also

an ISO-14001 certified institution,

which goes to show that

environmental issues are held dear

here.

On the technical side, subjects such

as carpentry, fitting, electronics,

plumbing and computer skills areoffered for both boys and girls. Every

child is made aware of the

environment its nurture and its

problems through programmes

marking World Wetlands Day. World

Population Day, World Forestry Day

to name a few.This awareness extends

to the students immediate

environment where they clean their

classrooms. On a small plot of land

near the school, the children are taughthow to grow and take care of plants

from the sowing stage until it is a full-

grown plant.

It is our constant endeavour to create

a happy and fun-filled learning

environment for children. Through

experiential learning, we aim to

develop young inquiring minds.

Children are given freedom to

discover, explore, question and make

choices. They are active initiators oftheir own learning process through

which they strive to reach their true

potential.

Each child leaves Udayachal with an

education that provides knowledge,

awareness and a value system that

supports him/her through life. In

conclusion, at Pirojshanagar, the

symbiotic relationship between Plants

and Plants industrial and natural,

create the ideal environment forgrowth, and the perfect setting for a

place of learning. Growth, in the most

complete sense of the word, is what

will take us into the India of tomorrow.

6


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Long term employment for the visually disabled

The activity of hardware packet making for chairs has been

outsourced to National Association for Disabled Enterprises

(NADE)for the last several years.The objective of this decision

was to ensure continued occupation for the visually disabled.

The activity began way back in 1996-97, where approximately

8,000 to 10,000 hardware packets of 30 different kinds every

month were made by them.

This activity continues till date. Only, the scope has increased

and NADE now provides us with 40,000 packets of 200 kinds.

The type of hardware components has also increased from 20

components then to 75 components now with the change in

business scenario & customer requirements.

The employment to the visually and physically disabled people

has also gone up from employing seven persons then to

approximately 18 people now.

In this period of about ten years, we have managed to get

approximately 3 million hardware packets from NADE. And

what is amazing is that the defects due to wrong packing wasobserved to be less then 2000 PPM which is really a commendable

performance by the people working on it.

The activity has also helped us learn that when a process is fool

proofed and there is a level of dedication towards it, the output

can be excellent.

Rahul K. Bagayatkar

Interio-Seating System

In the last ten years, Godrej has got

approximately 3 million hardware packets

made from NADE.

The process of screw packet making

The hospital provides high quality

health care at affordable prices

Godrej Memorial Hospital - striving to strike the right balance

7

The Godrej Hospital was set up by

Godrej Memorial Trust. The objective

of the hospitals was to create a balance

between the philanthropic hospitals

and the private hospitals in the city.

For the same purpose, an alternate

business model was created whichwould emulate philanthropic hospitals

but have high quality healthcare

services at an affordable cost in a

rational and ethical manner. To put it

simply, provide five star

services at three star

prices.

The hospital has in fact

managed to implement

this unique business

model, and today even

the highest rates in the

state-of-theart hospital

are 40-60 percent lowerthan other private

hospitals. The model is

inspired by the concept

of Sustainable

Philanthropy. This model was adopted

wit the belief that a wholly

philanthropic model would not be

sustainable and would grow only in a

very limited sense.

It is interesting to know that the

hospital does not advertise as theManagement believes that as a medical

service provider, it is not ethical to

advertise. Also, advertising would

involve large financial outlay, which will

Godrej Memorial Hospital


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Common Effluent Treatment Plant - Capacity 1200 cubic

metres per day

Sewage Treatment and Recycling Plant -

Capacity 500 Cubic metres per day

Godrej has always believed inprotecting and enhancing environment.In the year 1980, a survey wasconducted to understand statutoryrequirements as regards treatment ofeffluents, sewage etc. and it wasdecided to undertake measures, whichwent well beyond the mere statutorycompliance.

Effluent Treatment: In the year1986, the first Common Effluent

Treatment Plant (CETP) of capacity

Managing effluents and waste water

1,200 cubic metres a day wasestablished for treating waste water

generated from manufacturing activities

at Vikhroli.

In 1987, Electroplating Effluent

Treatment Plant of capacity 400 cubic

metres per day for treating

pretreatment effluent generating from

pretreatment processes was

commissioned.

All the liquid effluents from various

manufacturing divisions and the partiallytreated effluents from electroplating

waste treatment plant and Chromiumtreatment plant are collected andtreated in the Common EffluentTreatment Plant (CETP). The plant has

a capacity to treat 1200 cubic metres

per day effluent to the standardsprescribed by the Pollution Control

Board. A part of the effluent is recycled

/recovered for the operation of CETP

and gardening purpose.

8

upset the attractive value for cost

equation.

Whats special: To make

healthcare available at affordable

prices, the OPD is divided into three

types- OPD for poor patients is

between 9 and 10 am, where the

patients are charged only Rs.10 per

consultation. The concessional OPDis between 10 am and 4 pm, where

Rs.100 is charged for general

speciality and Rs. 150 for superior

speciality consultations. The patient

can see the doctor for the same

ailment free for another nine daysafter the first visit and then 50percent as follow up charges fromthe 14th to the 30th day. The hospital

also takes pride in being one of theonly hospitals in the city that does

not insist on an advance.

The hospital building is well designed:

where the bed moves with the patient

as required. All modern biomedical

equipment is available, such as CT

scans, advanced operating

microscopes, equipment for key-hole

surgeries, life support equipment as

well as ICUs for adults and new born

babies (neonates).

The hospital has around 80 honourary

consultants attached to it. The

misalignment between the interest of

the hospital and those of consultants

is prevented through innovatively

designed fee structure.To help the needy patients, a network

of trusts and charitable institutions is

put in place and is activated readily if

the need arises.

The hospital provides free emergency

medical service through its cardiac

ambulance with a well-trained medical

team in the radius of 10 km around

the hospital. The pharmacy, diagnostic

and casualty services are available

round the clock.

Reaching out: The hospital does free

cleft surgeries in association with Smile

Train Project and have completed 100

surgeries till date. The hospital also

organises free medical camps,

especially on cataracts. Taking the

educative philosophy of the hospital

seriously, the hospital has also

organises lecture series for general

practitioners and the doctors at the

hospital.

For the convenience of patients who

cannot make it to the hospital, an out

door collection service has started in

Vikhroli, Powai, Kanjumarg andChembur area.

The hospital is planning to go for

National Accreditation for the

laboratory at the hospital. The Hospital

also intends to put up an ART centre

to support the government to tackle

HIV in he near future.

The hospital, in its efforts to be

sustainable in its growth model and

affordable has now created a culture

of need based philanthropy that has

certainly come to stay. We believe this

model should be mutated on a large

scale to provide high quality health

care at affordable prices for the

growing middle class.

Dr. AM Joglekar


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Sewage Treatment: In 1989, the

first Sewage Treatment and RecyclingPlant of capacity 500 cubic metres per

day commissioned for recycling sewage

water from industrial premises. Againa voluntary initiative to reduce thesewage load and reduce dependenceon Municipal water supply.

Again in 1996, the second sewage

treatment plant was commissioned of

the same capacity for treatment of

sewage water. The treated waste

water is used for gardening purposesacross the Industrial township.

Godrej also reuses a part of the sewage

certified by M/s. TUV India Pvt. Ltd.

for Integrated Management System

conforming to ISO 9001:2000, ISO

14001:2004 and OHSAS 18001:1999,

International Management System

standards for Quality, Environment and

Occupation Health and Safety.

Rainwater harvesting: Rooftop Rain

Water Harvesting is the techniquethrough which rainwater is captured

from the roof catchments and stored

in reservoirs. Harvested rainwater can

be stored in sub-surface ground water

reservoir by adopting artificial recharge

techniques to meet the household

needs through storage in tanks.

For the residential project of Godrej

Garden Enclave Project, company has

decided to impement a comprehensive

rainwater harvesting scheme with apurpose of utilising this abundant

natural source of water for flushing

requirement of the residential buildings

and recharging the ground water

through borewell and openwell for the

duration it is available.

Switching to cleaner process, recycling

of materials and water, efficient resource

management, waste minimisation, is all

part of the strategy to minimise the

damage to the environment.

Tejashree Joshi

Construction Division

Sewage Treatment and recycling Plant at the Godrej Garden Enclave Complex - Capacity 650 Cubic

metres per day

water coming from the industrial and

residential establishments for gardening,landscaping and/or flushing applications.

Domestic sewage is treated in 2 Nos.

of SBR based tertiary sewage treatment

plants each with a capacity of 500 cubic

metres per day. The treated water from

this plant is used for horticulture

purposes in the industrial complex.

The Environment department of

Construction Division; which operates

all the Common Wastewater

treatment and recycling facilities at

Godrej manages the Hazardous wastes

generated for all the divisions has been

The Godrej canteen, like all other

canteens generates two kinds of

leftovers. However, what makes it

unique is the use these leftovers

are put to:

The first type is untouched food.

Untouched food is the food that

has not reached peoples plates.

Every afternoon workers from

The Managers canteen at Godrej & Boyce

Making use of every morsel

Outside view of canteen

to ensure that the reach is as

widespread as possible.

The second type is food left on

peoples plates. This leftover is sentto the Garden department to make

fertilizers/compost.

DD Amrute

Good Samaritan, an organisation in

Vikhroli for destitute children,

come to take the remaining food

to distr ibute it to theunderprivileged.

However, every year, the organisation

that the food is provided to is reviewed

9


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10

Employees of Godrej are provided

housing facility in Companys

residential complex located at

Pirojshanagar, Vikhroli. As this

complex has preserved its greenery

and natural beauty it is also known as

Garden Township of Godrej.

This complex is among first few

residential complexes, which has been

awarded ISO-14000:2004 and EN-

14001:2004 certification because of its

best practices towards preserving and

maintaining healthy, green and clean

environment.

An ariel view of Hillside colony

Pic by Nariman Bacha

The Godrej housing colonies: idyllic retreats in the heart of the suburb of Vikhroli

developed geometrically in all

directions. Presently it provides

accommodation to over 4,900

employees.

The residents can also avail the

services provided in the form of the

school, dispensary, post office, hospital

and provision stores among many

others. They can also enjoy the

facilities at the club house like the

gymnasium, the swimming pool, lawn

tennis and table tennis, etc. The

residents can also join various

workshops organised by the club from

time to time.

Facilities like pipe-gas, cable television

(through CAS), Internet and the like

are also made available to residents.

The employees living here cut across

religious and cultural barriers. All the

residents come together to celebrate

Diwali, New year, Navratri, GaneshChaturthi, Id and Christmas.

Once in every year a get-together

called Anand Mela is organised for the

Jogging track at Godrej Hillside Club

Navratri celebrations in the colony

Godrej Creekside colony

Godrej Hillside colony

The colony is divided into Hillside

colony, which is easily accessible from

Lal Bahadur Shastri Marg and

Creekside colony, which is easily

accessible from the Eastern ExpressHighway.

Way back in year 1950, a few chawls

were built in Kendraside colony for

employees, who were transferred from

the Lalbaug factory to the Vikhroli

factory. Since then the colony has

residents. The young and the old,

both enjoy all the cultural and regional

flavors at the food stalls put up by

the residents themselves. They also

enjoy the music and dance

performances, joy-rides, and the

games at the mela.

Annual sports, cricket matches and

football tournaments keep sports

enthusiasts busy throughout the

year.

Residents who have moved away from

the colony never forget their

memorable times here.

Ashok Chhichhia

Housing Department

10


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11

The Energy Conservation Act (Encon)

came into effect from 2001. The act has

been promulgated by the Bureau of

Energy Efficiency, Govt. of India. The

act has identified Designated Energy

intensive Industries viz. Cement,

Fertilizer, Chlor-alkali, Petrochemicals

and the like for mandatory compliancewith the Encon Act. Additionally, any

commercial building with a connected

load that is greater than 500kw / 600kva,

is in the ambit of the Encon Act, 2001.

Godrej & Boyce, being a light

engineering company, does not fall in

the designated industries category.

However, at Godrej voluntary

compliance of Encon systems is in

With the booming Manufacturing

Sector recording a hefty 14%

growth for the year 2006-07, there

is a great demand for skilled

workmen.

To impart skills which make young

persons employable, Godrej

introduced Employees ChildrenTraining Scheme for the children

of employees serving as well as

retired.

This generated an enthusiastic

response from the workmen. Over

100 employees sent in applicatios

for their sons out of which 76

candidates were selected and have

started attending the Training

Sessions.

Skills like Welding, Fabricating,

Fitting will be taught during the

Training period which is for one

year. There will be class-room

sessions to make the concepts and

theory clear accompanied by hand-

on training in the Corporate

Training Centre Workshop. After

this, they will go to the Divisions

where they will be given on-the-

job training. Trainees are givenstipend of Rs. 3000/- per month

during the training period.

PM Bhosekar

Corporate Training Centre

Making the youth employable

Conserving for a brighter tomorrow

Central Air conditioning system

(HVAC): Used for Comfort and

machine shop application. High

Efficiency Chillers are expensive but

pays for itself.

Usage of Thermal Equipments like

Hot water Generators and Ovens andregular tuning of Burners etc.

results in efficiency improvement.

Reduction in speed of Pumps,

Fans & Blowers: Reduction in speed

of Pumps, Fans & Blowers by 10%

results in energy reduction by 30%.

Lighting: Energy Efficient lamps + the

Luminaries results high lumens

output.

The effect of Metal Halide Lamps on the Shop floor

place for the last two decades.

Investment to the tune of 8-10% of

the Annual Electricity Bill is made every

year with attractive payback.

Inspired by the adage, One cannot

manage what one does not measure,

Godrej believes Measurement/Monitoring and Verification of past v/s

present data gives an insight and paves

a roadmap for Energy Conservation

Measures (ECM) to be taken up.

At Godrej, Energy audits are

conducted at regular intervals and all

techno-economically viable suggestions

are implemented.

Energy Conservation begins right from

the design stage, extends all the way

to Operations and ends with proper

maintenance.

The following are the areas Godrej

focuses on:

Process: Selection for a particular

application has to be done keeping

mind the Energy efficiency, ease of

operation and maintenance.

Minimising Compressed Air

utilisation: Compressed Air is the

most expensive form of energy. 6

Units of Electrical Energy gives One

Unit of Compressed Air. A process ofswitching over from Compressed air

grinding to Electrical High Frequency

Grinding has been initiated in several

shopfloors.

At the moment a unique project has

been taken up which involves

recovering waste heat from Central

Air conditioning and re-utilising thesame in Surface Treatment Plants.

Spearheading the Green

Revolution: The Green Business

Centre, Hyderabad

The idea of Green Business Centre

was conceived by the house of Godrej

and the CII, in partnership with the

Andhra Pradesh Government and was

technically assisted by USAID. Green

Business Centre is the first building inthe world to receive the Platinum

LEED award, making it one of the most

environmentally advanced buildings in

the world.


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12

The Green Building is a symbol of

Environmental Sustainability. For

Environmental Sustainability, one has

to adapt a holistic approach whilst

constructing a building and also ensure

The Horticulture Department at

Godrej was started in 1951 primarily

to facilitate the greening of the

developing Industrial Township of

Pirojshanagar at Vikhroli. Sprawling

over 3000 acres, the Township soon

became an oasis in the midst of theconcrete jungle that Mumbai was fast-

becoming. Very quickly the Township

was referred to as, the Godrej

Industrial Garden Township.

Thousands of trees, tens of thousands

of shrubs and herbs and creepers of

hundreds of species and sub-species

A Green Genetic Code

are prominently found in this vast mix

of factories and verdant countryside.

The Godrej Township and company

premises are dotted with woods, but

this did not come about instantly. It

has taken several years of determined

effort and dedication by our founders,namely, Pirojsha Godrej, Sohrab

Godrej and Naval Godrej, to

transform the area into the green bowl

that we are fortunate to enjoy today.

The Construction Division was

certified for Environmental

Management System (ISO 14001) in

October, 1997. Being a part of the

Division, the Garden Department has

channelised all its activities through the

systematic procedures that

standardisation calls for. Similarly, the

Township was also certified under ISO

14001 in 2001, This added a further

dimension to the activities, mainly bycreating awareness and imparting

nature education, through the system,

to the residents and Udayachal

Schools.Landscape garden opposite to Plant 11 Showroom

The Cactarium nurtured by the Garden Division

12

One of the green building projects commissioned by Godrej

that this

approach is

integrated in its

s u b s e q u e n t

operation.

A Green

Building keeps

Environmental

concerns infocus in the

following areas

a) selection of

site for the

building b)

arch i tec tura l

features c) water and energy efficiency

d) energy efficiency of equipments in

the buildings e) selection and usage

of materials f) Indoor Air Quality

g) Occupant Thermal Comfort

Also, of optimum importance is Safety

during Construction and post

Occupancy.

A Green building and a conventional

building would visually not look very

different, but the difference really lies

in the design, the construction and

operational aspects.

MNCs, corporate houses and the retailsector have reacted positively to the

Green building concept and in a very

short span over 100 projects have

been registered in India.

The E&E Division is into business of

consultancy on Commissioning of Green

Buildings. More than 25 Projects are being

handled as of today for commissioning.

Rumy Engineer

Energy Conservation Department, E&E


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13

The Garden Department, as a serviceand support department, has the majorresponsibility of nurturing the gardens

and the plantation in the Pirojshanagarpremises. Handling living creatures,

who do not visibly respond, requiresmuch patience, love and care and thiswould not have been possible withoutthe nimble fingers of the numerous

gardeners and workers, who care forthe greenery with so much of affection.Hundreds of tree species of bothindigenous and exotic nature havebeen planted and are now flourishingover the years. A vibrant description

is recorded in the much-appreciatedbook, Godrej: A symbiosis ofIndustry and Nature, published by theBombay Natural History Society andthe Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej

Foundation.Green Cover

Avenues lined with Peltophorum,

Royal Palm, the Benjamina (Ficus) and

many other appropriate species set theplace apart. Flowering trees like

Laburnum, Gulmohur Kanchan andTacoma add splashes of brilliant hues

of colour that change with the seasons.

The trees were planted and gardens

developed in co-ordination with the

construction activities. The extensivefoliage patches act as carbon sinks and

make the micro-climate of the area a

number of times better as comparedto the other parts in Mumbai. To cater

to the continuous requirement of the

tree and plant species, we are

propagating and growing plants in two

well-equipped nurseries.

Initiatives

The development of gardens is not

only restricted to Pirojshanagar.

Godrej, in keeping with its practice

of Corporate Social Responsibility, has

adopted and developed traffic island

gardens at several places in Mumbai.Many of these gardens have been

awarded prizes. Under the guidance

and advice of Mrs. Pheroza Godrej,

President of the National Society for

the Friends of the Trees, the Garden

department is nurturing tree saplings

at the SP Godrej Tree Bank. The

saplings are distributed through the

National Society for the Friends of the

Trees to various NGOs, Schools,

Colleges, Lions Club Rotary Clubs,Housing Societies and individuals. Over

the years we have progressed to

distributing well-developed 1m to

1.25m tall saplings, to ensure a higher

survival rate. We are also involved in

carrying out plantations of indigenous

Terrace garden at Godrej Bhavan

Dahlia flower

tree species at the Tower of Silence

(Doongarwadi). We assist their

horticulture team whenever required

and guide them regarding the care and

maintenance of the large number of

tree species present in its vicinity.

Creating awareness

To create awareness amongst the

Pirojshanagar residents and the schoolchildren we organise the annual

Vanamahotsava, tree-planting festival,

during the first week of July. Various

activities like tree plantation, seminars

on varied environment topics, including

care and maintenance of indoor plants

and the flora of Pirojshananagar, are

organised during this celebration. In fact,

whenever we have a choice we gift

potted plants as gifts to our guests and

prize winners rather than cut-flowers!!

Water conservation

To conserve water which is a precious

resource, watering for the extensive

gardens is predominantly using

recycled water. Water conservation

is a major goal for the garden team

and we are continually in the process

of adopting water conservation

techniques like adjusting watering

timings, mulching, making dykes in

summer and many others.

Waste management

One of the major output of the garden

maintenance activities like hedge-

trimming, lawn mowing and pruning is

a large amount of green waste, all of

which, combined with kitchen waste

from the canteen is deposited in

vermicomposting pits.

Vermicomposting allows us to reap the

benefits of utilising rich organic manure

in our gardens.

We can conclude that Pirojshanagar is

truly a symbiosis of nature and

industry. We are blessed with an

environment which is markedly

pleasant and pure as compared to the

other parts of Mumbai. It is our

endeavour to ensure that our

environmentally friendly activities

continue so that the next generationcan reap rich benefits and perpetuate

the same for posterity.

Aarti Kishore Bhambore

Garden Department


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14

ENVIRONM ENT AL C ONC ERNS

he corporate world is striving to

achieve excellence in all aspects

of their operations. Thishas resulted in various positive

initiatives in multiple fields including

the environmental and social services.

Broadly, such positive steps taken by

corporates which are beyond merely

to fulfilling any statutory requirement

are termed as Corporate Social

Responsibility (CSR). Although, the

concept of CSR has been developing

since the early 1970s, there is no

single, commonly accepted definitionof Corporate Social Responsibility

(CSR). However, in general, Corporate

Social Responsibility (CSR) is accepted

as a concept which states that

organizations, especially corporations,

have an obligation to consider the

interests of customers, employees,

shareholders, communities, and

ecological considerations in all aspects

of their operations. This obligation

extends beyond their statutory

obligation to comply with legislation.

As a result, organisations worldwide

are now entering into areas that were

for years considered to be the

responsibility of Governments alone.

The private sector is becoming an

active partner in environmental

protection. It is widely recognised

today, that environmental protection

and economic growth need not

necessarily be in conflict, and oftencan be complimentary to each other.

New Obligations: Today, many

companies recognise their

responsibility to minimise the

environmental damages arising out of

their actions. An earlier regime with

emphasis on strict governmentalregulations has ceded ground to

corporate self-regulation and voluntary

initiatives. The environmental aspect

of CSR is crucial and is defined as the

duty to counter-balance the

environmental costs of the companys

operations, products and facilities

through minimising consumption,

wastes and emissions; and maximising

the efficiency and productivity of its

resources. It is the duty of everyresponsible citizen and institutions alike

to minimise practices that might

adversely affect the countrys

resources, which would in turn affect

our future generations far more

severely.

CSR is closely linked with the

principles of Sustainable Development,

which argue that enterprises should

not only be concerned about financial

factors such as profits or dividends,but also the immediate and long-term

social and environmental consequences

of their activities.

In the emerging global scenario of

information explosion, companies are

more often judged on the basis of their

socio-environmental stewardship.

Quality standards (such as ISO

certification) of the company are also

adjudged based on various parameters

including their social andenvironmental performance. This

transparency of business practices

means that for many companies CSR

is no longer a luxury but a

requirement. Global partners in

business and consumers want to know

what is inside a company. They preferassociating with companies with higher

ethical standards and socio-

environmental performance over and

above the physical quality of their

products.

Godrej The leader of CSR:

Undoubtedly, the Godrej name stands

head and shoulders above its peers

when it comes to the CSR. The vast

tract of 1750 acres of unique

Mangrove forests conserved andprotected by Godrej on its land in

Vikhroli stands testimony to Godrejs

efforts towards fulfilling their CSR in

an exemplary manner demonstrating

how industry and nature could well

be in harmony with each other. Godrej

has been honoured with national

Green Governance award in 2005,

which recognised our efforts.

Symbiosis of Industry and Nature

It was 12.40 pm on November 10,

2005 in Hall No. 5 of Vigyan Bhavan

in New Delhi. After the initial

speeches, Mr. Vijay Crishna, Master

of Ceremony, announced the winner

of the BNHS Green Governance

Award: 2005 for the Category

Conservation & Restoration of Habitat.

Mr. Jamshyd Godrej received the

award on behalf of Godrej & Boyce

Mfg. Co. Ltd., from the hands of thehonourable Prime Minister of India Dr.

Manmohan Singh for their

Conservation and Restoration of a

Habitat project, for its commitment

Protection andCorporate ResponsibilityEnvironment Dr. Maya Mahajan explains the criticalityof Corporate Environmental Responsibilityas a part of Social Responsibility and the

role Godrej has performed in the area so far

T


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15

to the global community to protect

the mangroves and promote their

conservation through extensive

environmental education campaign.

It was indeed a proud moment of

recognition for every Godrejite,

especially the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej

Marine Ecology Centre (mangrove

project) team as well as the efforts of

entire Godrej team in keeping the

environment clean green and safe. It

was a salute by a 122 year old research

oriented institute (BNHS) to a 108

year old (or rather young) commercial

organisation. Moreover, it was a

recognition for the scientific efforts at

Godrej in striking an exemplary

balance between industry and nature

through environment friendly

practices.

The preservation of open spaces and

especially green open spaces such as

mangroves has always been a priority

for the Godrej family. The entire

campus of the Company is an

industrial garden township known as

Pirojshanagar and is a living testimony

of this commendable priority.

Pirojshanagar, in fact, is a green oasis

situated within urban Mumbai. The

company strongly believes that thisgreen environment enhances

productivity and quality. Conservation

of the greenery and mangroves are

one of the many aspects of Corporate

Social Responsibility shown by

Godrej.

The Mangrove Conservation Project

and its efforts is a pioneering

endeavour in the context of Corporate

Environmental Responsibility, which is

in its fledgling state in the country eventoday. Organisations being committed

to the environment shatters the

popular myth that Industries are anti-

environment.

Mangrove Conservation Project

Mangrove Project, proudly described

as the apex of environment

conservation activities initiated by

Godrejsuccessfully completed 12 years

in 2007. The project acquired its

formal structure with set up of

Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine

Ecology Centre under the guidanceof Dr. Salim Ali, Dr. AK Ganguly and

Dr. HN Sethna in 1985. The project

is indeed unique in having ISO 14001

certificate, which is generally allotted

to human establishments such as

industries, housing colonies etc. In fact,

mangrove forest in Pirojsha Nagar is

probably the only forest maintained

by a corporate house having ISO

certificate as per our knowledge.

Approximately, 1,750 acres of the landwith mangrove cover has been

conserved by Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej

Marine Ecology Centre. Well

diversified and well protected, these

are the last- quality mangroves in the

city. The vast expanse of these

mangroves serve as a second lung of

the city only after the Sanjay Gandhi

National Park which is under immense

environmental pressures.

The mangrove flora of Pirojshanagaris well diversified. There are 13 species

of mangroves and mangrove associates.

The faunal composition in the area is

also equally diverse. Apart from 185

species of birds, 30 species of reptiles,

13 species of crabs, 7 species of

prawns and 20 species of fish have

been identified so far in the area.

Mammals like jackals and mongoose

also were sited many a times.

Every year during winter thousands offlamingos visit this area.

The SPGMEC has taken several

measures to protect these mangroves

in Pirojshanagar as a part of

environmental and social

responsibility. Major objectives of the

centre are conservation of the marine

diversity (mangrove ecosystem)

through research, education/

awareness building and regular

monitoring. Simultaneously, the

centre is engaged in the propagation

of various species of mangroves,

developing theme parks on medicinal

plants and rare endemic plant species,

palms amongst others.

Enhancing awareness about mangrove

ecosystem and natural resources in

general is one of the prime objectives

of the Centre. Every year, around

10,000 visitors learn about bio-

diversity in mangroves, its importance

and threats for its survival throughnature trails, slide shows, film shows,

awareness campaigns, visits to

Mangrove Interpretation Centre and

articles in newsletters. We try to find

innovative methods to take this natural

heritage to maximum number of

people in Godrej establishments and

citizens of Mumbai

Some of the Eco-restoration

programmes undertaken by SPGMEC

are:

Regular monitoring/ patrolling in the

creek side mangrove area conserved

by SPG Marine Ecology Centre to

check possible destruction of existing

mangroves and protecting rare species

of mangroves.

Ecological restoration of degraded

mangroves by raising nurseries and

replenishing degraded mangrove areas

through artificial regeneration indifferent areas.

The vast patch of mangroves also

serves as a source of livelihood of

neighbouring fishermen community.

Mr. Jamshyd Godrej receiving the award.

The mangroves at Pirojshanagar

The flamingos at the Mangroves


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Nature trailMangrove tour

Mangrove interpretation centre. A theory lesson on the mangrove

It is one of the major privately managed

wetlands in Asia.

It is probably the first wetland management project

in the world to achieve ISO 14001 Certificate for

Environment Management System.

Successful plantation of Mangroves on sterile salt

lands covering hundreds of acres of area.

An Interpretation Centre to impart environmental

education by using mangroves as a platform. The

centre has facilities for a nature trail, theme parks,

small marine aquariums, information through

posters, presentations, film shows, books etc.

Research guidance has been provided for graduate

and post graduate students from different

organisations.

Conducted National and International seminars

for bringing the peoples attention and participation

towards the conservation of mangroves.

Over 500 wild animals have been rescued and

rehabilitated in the wild since 1994.

Peoples attention has been drawn towards the

issue of conservation of Mumbai Mangroves

through newspapers, magazines and television.

Played a key role in getting the status of Important

Bird Area of India for the Thane Creek. Working

as a facilitator to get the status of Ramsar Site

or the Wetland of International Importance for

the Thane Creek.

Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. received BNHS

Green Governance Award 2005 in the hands of

Honorable Prime Minister of India for

conservation and restoration of Mangrove habitat

at Vikhroli.

Participated in the First Asia Wetland Symposium

held in Hong Kong. SPGMEC is a part of global

network called Wetland-Link International.

Some of the significant achievements of the project are:


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17

New Focus: Now, the focus of SPGMEC has shifted

from conservation of mangroves to Better Environmental

Performance using mangrove as a platform. With this

change of focus, we are now using mangroves as an

ecological indicator of the Industrys ecological performance.

We do not want to just protect the mangroves, but

improve our every activity that puts burden on the

environment around us. The betterment of environmental

performance is not only limited to the industrial activities

but also, at the personal levels.

With the same intention, our residential colonies have

adopted the Environmental Management System and they

are ISO 14000 certified housing colonies. The mangrove

protection and environmental safety can be seen in every

aspect of these colonies and festivals like Ganpati and Holi

celebrations show remarkable efforts put in by employees

and their families.

During last year (April 2006 to April 2007) we could

successfully conduct around 150 comprehensive education

programs comprising nature trails, slide shows/ film shows,poster presentation and lectures Around 10,000 visitors

including different school children, college students, teachers

and citizens groups visited our centre, and explored the

Mangroves in Pirojsha Nagar.

We also celebrated different events such as World

Environment Day (5th June), Vana Mahotsava (July 1 to 7),

Mangrove Action Day, Wildlife Week (October 1-7),

International Biodiversity Day, World Wetland Day etc with

active participation of different School children including

Udayachal Primary School and High School, College students,

Godrej employees, colony residents etc. Environmentalawareness programs were also conducted during

Ganeshotsava and Anand Mela in Godrej Colonies. Research

students from different colleges and post graduate

departments are enjoying the benefit of our library and also

getting guidance from the experts in our department. This

year four post

graduate students and

two groups of college

students from

Mumbai and Pune

could successfullycomplete their

research project

under the guidance of

e n v i r o n m e n t a l

experts at our centre.

Mangrove Conservation project is now being looked at as

a success story and people from Mumbai are interested in

saving the mangroves all over the city.

The Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Marine Ecology Centre is

mainly responsible for bringing the fact to peoples notice

that mangroves are a lifeline for Mumbai and also has

taken up the responsibility for keeping this lifeline intact

for the sake of our future generations.

Dr. Maya Mahajan

Students on a plantation drive

Research students on a field trip

Garden department at Godrej & Boyce

A creakside view of the Mangroves


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18

REFLECT. RESTORE. RE IMAGINE

Mumbai - A civic nightmare:

Recently the rains have once againexposed our inabilities to combat thecivic problems in our cities. For allthese years, the influx of people tothe city has paralysed theinfrastructure to the extent of turningour cities into a civic nightmare.Housing is one such problem that hascrippled our civic administration rightfrom the time of independence.

Origins of housing shortage: Thegenesis of the housing problem inMumbai dates back to the mid-nineteenth century, the period thatsaw the increase in population. Theurban growth due to the flourishingoverseas trade especially the bloomingcotton trade was one of the reasonsfor the transformation of Mumbai into

the commercial capital of the countrythat in turn attracted people from allover India to try their fortunes in thismetropolis. Despite the efforts of themunicipal administration, the problemsof the city aggravated with this risingpopulation.

Government Action: Independenceand self rule pushed the then Bombaygovernment into finding feasibleremedies to end the crisis for its

people. British Building experts wereconsulted by the Housing Minister whohad set off for Europe with this inmind. Their slum clearance site in Yorkwas an example to be followed. (Fromthe special issue of India NationalPictorial News Weekly of August 31,1947)

Around the same time even the

Madras Government sketched a planfor Cheap and healthy homes forworkers. Madras Engineers after muchinvestigation came up with a ModelHouse Plan for building houses to suitthe needs of poor man/ middle class.However we do not know whetherthis plan was implemented by theGovernment or any private employeras was intended by the planners.

Realising the urgency to meet the

housing problem, in the First Five YearPlan (1951-56), the Governmentemphasised on institution-building andon construction of homes forGovernment employees and theweaker sections of society. AnIndustrial Housing Scheme was alsoinitiated during the plan period.

Despite of all these initiatives,problems seized the IndianGovernment who in turn goaded the

Vrunda Pathare and Sanghamitra Sen trace

the origins of the Industrial township in India

and the story behind the transformation of

the marshlands in Vikhroli to the Pirojsha

Nagar Industrial township

BirthIndustrial TownshipThe of theIndustrial TownshipBirth


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19

state authorities to tackle the problemon war footing. Speaking on theoccasion of inauguration of Air IndiaInternationals modern housing colonyat Santa Cruz on December 14, 1957,Mr. YB Chavan, the then ChiefMinister of Bombay emphasised theneed to build industrial colonies inorder to solve one of Bombays acutest

problems housing and hoped theinitiative on the part of private sector.(Special supplement of Times of Indiaon Air-India International HousingColony dated December 30, 1957)

Private sector rising to the

occasion: However, initiatives on thepart of the private sector were alsonot unknown. Early in the twentiethcentury, Tatas showed the way bybuilding the Industrial Township at Jamshedpur. Commissioned by theTata family in 1920, Lawrence SamuelDurrell was responsible for building atinplate mill, a brick-making plant, anoffice building, a hospital and over fourhundred workers houses atJamshedpur.

Around 1943, reported India NationalPictorial News Weekly of August 31,1947, Messers. Janda Mfg. Co. Ltd.,

Lahore also set an example ofcoordinated planning of an industrialunit comprising production buildings,housing for the employees and all thenecessary provisions for education,

shopping, recreation, entertainment andadministration. AB Schwarz was thearchitect. On the 64 acres of land werebuilt 10 factory buildings and thenecessary housing accommodation for3000 persons including workmen andmanagement. Every factory building wasprovided with a tiffin and rest room,washing place and changing room.

The Godrej story: Much before Mr.YB Chavan reiterated the need ofIndustrial housing in Bombay, PirojshaGodrej dreamt of Industrial Townshipat Vikhroli. Deeply concerned with theproblem of industrial slums and thesubsequent degradation, he decided toremedy the situation by buildingsanitary houses at subsidized, low rentsfor the workers. Mr. Thanewallaremembered, One of his (Pirojshas)workers was sick one day and so hewent to see him. And when he sawwhere his Mistry stayed, he decidedto build (decent) houses for them inVikhroli.

Vikhroli was envisaged to be a newmodern garden township that wascreated keeping Welfare of workmenin mind. The construction of the giantfactories and housing was executed

along with land development andlandscaping, including quarrying anddrainage. By 1953, 90 tenements wereready along with two factory sheds(Plant One and Plant Two).

One of the first houses that were built for workers

Handwritten note by Mr[1]. Vinod are

laying out lawns near Plant 1 and 2.07.12

Proposed plantation 1954

19


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20

A Garden and Farm Committee wasformed for planning gardens and lawnsaround the factory area to create apollution free environment forworkers. Mr. Vinod was appointed asthe first horticulturist. The committeeconsisted of B Desai, HM Engineer,NB Vinod, KN Mowdawalla and Mr.SP Godrej in the chair. In the meetingof this committee held on February23, 1954, it was unanimously decidedto grow lawns near the factory sheds.

It was decided that on both the sidesof the roads between the two shedslawn should be raised. As for trees tobe planted between thetwo sheds it was agreedthat Pink Catias shouldbe planted. Every treeto be planted waspredefined.

As the company desiredto develop the garden

township on scientificlines, a team from theTata Institute of Social Sciences wasspecially invited to guide and assist inplanning out the garden at factory andgive their suggestions forimprovements in the year 1955. Dr.MV Moorthy and Mr. Kaikobad whovisited the Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co.Ltd. on May 8,1955, were impressedby the layout and the space provided

in the housing colony for workers.

The next fifty years witnessed thetransformation of Vikhroli frommarshy lands into a green industrialtownship serving as a striking examplefor other entrepreneurs who care fortheir people and the environment. Itwould be apt to conclude withremarks of Meena Nemivant, the staffreporter for Industrial Times who inthe issue of January 3, 1977 writes:

I can vividly recollect the first pleasantimpression as I entered the precinctsof the Godrej Works. Imagine my

surprise as my eyestraveled over thepanoramic view of theplants and the housingcolony and wasrewarded by thesoothing landscape ingreen all shades of

green from lush velvetygreen to deep burntgreen to mellow olive green. It wasonly sound of the machines thatdeclared that this was a factory andnot a huge nursery Besides giving atouch of glory to the normally draband dull factory atmosphere, theattention paid to the environment hasalso paid dividends by combatingpollution and increasing workerproductivity.

Aerial view of the Godrej Industrial Township 1958

Divisions are requested tocontact the Archives beforedisposing off any records. Getin touch with Vrunda Pathareat [email protected] (6796-

4124).

Note by Mr. Vinod for the lawn

behind Pragati Kendra

We express our sincere thanks tothe PCS Division for allowing usto survey their non-currentrecords last year (July-Sept 2006)and for transferring to Archives700+ non-current files of archivalimportance identified during thesurvey. We would also like to

thank the Appliances Division forsending 433 video cassettes to theArchives.

We would like to express ourgratitude to individuals like Mr.Ashok Palande and Mr. ManishVyas for their contribution to theGodrej Archives in the form ofrecords and photographs fromtheir personal collection.

Save ourrecords, saveour corporateheritage.

Save ourrecords, saveour corporateheritage.


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21

KNOW YOUR D IV IS IONAL HEAD

n a rainy Saturday

morning, a day when

the entire city was

thrown out of gear, we

had this interview

scheduled with George

Menezes. But at 10 am,when we walked into his

room, he seemed

unperturbed with the

impending mayhem of the

outside world. He was

prepared work aside

and eager to listen. That

is probably the first thing

that strikes you about

George Menezes. The fact

that he really listens when

you talk and that he does

it with complete humility.

But when it is his turn to

talk, we see a different

side. Fiercely passionate,

enthusiastic and hugely

optimistic, he looks you

straight in the eye as he

speaks about the

successes and failures of

his division with

objectivity. Straight

questions get straight

answers. It does not come

as a surprise that it was

under his leadership that

the imminent change in

fortune in the Appliance

business was scripted.

Ch: How long have

you been in Godrej?

GMM: I joined thecompany in 1981. So it is

more than two and a half

decades with the

organisation.

Ch: And how has the

journey been so far?

GMM: The journey so far

has been very eventful with

lots of learning. I joined the

organisation in our

Typewriter Service sectionwhich was then one of the

verticals in the Central

Service organisation

operating from our Lalbaug

premises. During those

days divisionalisation had

not happened and we had

various product groups and

corporate departments.

After-sales-service function

of all product groups of thecompany was clubbed

under the Central Service

Department. I was then

looking after a section of

around 25-30 typewriter

mechanics who were

involved in overhauling/

repairing/renovating of

used typewriters.

From there on I moved

into the Systems arena byjoining our EDP (Electronic

Data Processing)

Department which was

headed by EJ Kalwachia and

is today called Godrej

Infotech Ltd. (GIL). There

I worked both in

Operations and Software

Development. Along the

way having done my MBA

from Narsee MonjeeInstitute, I moved on

further to join Dr. KR

Hathi, the overall Head of

Marketing for the

If you care you can

My qualifications: Science Graduate, Postgraduate inManagement from Narsee Monjee, Mechanical Engineeringfrom Somaiya College pursued while working for Godrej& Boyce to ensure Engineering Orientation.

I head: Appliance Division

My family background:My wife Nalini, works for IDBI.She has done her post graduation in Commerce. She is aManager. My daughter, Sharon, is studying Engineering specialising in Information Technology. I have two brothersand a sister.

Strengths: As a person I am very strongly result orientedand people oriented at the same time. I value integrity, notin the narrow sense of honesty, but in anything andeverything I do, I believe one should be true to our roles.

Weaknesses: Im not as diplomatic as I should be. I discussissues very openly and a lot of people find that embarrassing.Also, I am a little impatient, maybe even impulsive at times.

I dislike: I abhor sycophancy. I never encourage a cultureof people coming and telling me anything behind anyonesback.

Books I read: Anything. Right from business reading tomy daughters comic books. The last book I really enjoyedreading was The Toyota Wayby Jeffery Liker.

My brand of humour: I enjoy spontaneous wit verymuch.

Hobbies: I love playing chess.

Pets:Ive never had any pets and I dont think I would betoo comfortable having any.

Subject I loved studying in school:Maths

Key lessons in life so far: Be true to your self, respectpeople and question the status quo.

George Menezes

O


24/44

22

company, as his Executive Assistant

responsible for the Marketing Services

function. There I got an opportunity

to handle a gamut of functions, right

from managing Branch infrastructures,

setting up the Information Systems and

processes, to getting involved in the

Summer Trainee and Management

Trainee recruitments, as during those

days all recruitments of MBAs andSummer Trainees were not handled

by HR but by G&Bs Marketing

Department, headed by Dr. Hathi.

Thereafter, there was a restructuring

within the company and

divisionalisation happened. PD Lam,

our current President, took over as

the Head of OCP (Office and

Consumer Products) and IP (Industrial

Products) group of products. For a

brief stint I worked under BN

Doongaji who was the Marketing Head

for OCP products and

then joined Mr. Lam as his

Executive Assistant. There

was an immense amount

of learning there as it

enabled me to get

exposure to the various

divisions overall headed by

Mr. Lam. After a few years,

it was again time to moveon and I moved to the

Furniture division and

worked in various

capacities handling

Marketing, Exports and

later moved on into Sales

as Head of Bombay

Branch, responsible for the

Furniture, Storwel,

Security and Storage Solutions

products. After a two years stintthere, the Management deputed me

to manufacturing and this was a 180

degrees change. There was a lot of

skepticism internally too, as without

having had any exposure to

manufacturing, a person from sales was

being straightaway deputed to head

the manufacturing operations of a

plant! I worked under the guidance of

Mr. Prakash Kulkarni, the then Head

of Plant-14 to whom I was anunderstudy. Two years later my

responsibilities widened with additional

charge of Plant-4 as well. Thereafter,

when the erstwhile Furniture and

Storwel Divisions got merged, I was

promoted to the position of Vice

President (Product Supply) which

incidentally happened to be the first

time when the position was created

in the organisation. My responsibilities

included managing the entire supply

chain for the FIG Division (todays

Interio Division). It had under its ambit

four manufacturing plants Plant 4

for Desking and OPOS, Plant 14 for

Seating, Plant 13 for Storwel and Plant-

1 for Steel Processing and I was

responsible for all functions related to

Manufacturing, Sourcing, Trading and

Quality.

Two years down the line when the

decision was taken to create the

Commercial organisation to handle the

Commercial and Supply Chain

activities, I was deputed to head the

same and entrusted with the

responsibility of setting up the

Commercial division. Having done that,a year later, I was asked to take up

the responsibility of Appliance Division.

So you will see I have been one of the

fortunate people in the company who

got an opportunity to get rotated

across such diverse functions

Manufacturing, Sales, Service,

Commercial, Operations, etc.

Ch: What were the challenges of

having to set up the Commercialdivision from the scratch?

GMM: The biggest challenge for me

was to build the organisation from

scratch and get competent people to

head the branches and the regional

structures. I say this because, when

the organisation got created, the

existing branch managers were picked

up by the various divisions as heads of

Sales and I had to scout for a new

team. Moreover, there was a high level

of anxiety among the existing branch

managers as they saw a dilution of

responsibilities happening with the

Commercial set up coming in. Earlier,

the Branch Manager was responsible

for multiple businesses and the entire

branch infrastructure and back end

activities. With Commercial coming in,

we segregated these two functions.

Sales was one vertical and the rest

which were branch infrastructure,

Logistics, Order management,

Accounts, Administration, HR etc.

were under the Commercial. So, toput it honestly, there was a resistance

to this change and we had

to overcome the same by

winning the confidence of

the divisions. Other than

this, the bigger challenge

was to ensure that the

Commercial organisation

was able to effectively

discharge its role as that

of a service provider tothe businesses and that of

a controller of the

organisation namely,

custodian of the

companys assets who

would ensure all

compliances and controls

with respect to internal,

regulatory and statutory

aspects. This is a tight rope walk

you treat the Division as yourcustomer while also exercising

regulation and compliances.

Ch: When you were told that you

were going to be heading

Appliances, what was your first

reaction?

GMM: To be frank, I was quite taken

aback by the announcement. The factthat I had so many job rotations before

this, notwithstanding, I expected that

while selecting somebody forAppliances which was a business going

through a turbulent time; they would

look for a seasoned head who came

from that space and not an outsider

22

George Menezes with wife, Nalini and daughter, Sharon


25/44

23

from another division. Nevertheless,

it was a great responsibility that the

management had bestowed on me and

I took that up in all earnest. I had to

get into the groove from day one -

there was no time to learn. I was

expected to just get into the act.

Ch: How has the last one year

been for you and Appliances?

GMM: Among all businesses in Godrej,

this business has experienced the most

difficult times, with its fair share of

trials and tribulations. So, it was very

satisfying to see that now after eight

long years, we not only met our plan

but surpassed it. This gave us the

confidence that, yes, the division was

headed in the right direction and we

needed to further build on this

momentum.

Apart from an encouraging return to

growth in top line, our financials were

much better. Compared to the

mounting losses of the past, we had

shown a significant positive swing over

the previous year. This meant the

turnaround march of the division was

happening and our path to recovery

was destined.

The strengthening position of thedivision is also reflected in our market

performance. The division bagged a

series of consumer awards in

succession - The Most Trusted Brand

award from Readers Digest, the Most

Preferred Brand award from CNBC.

These awards are a vindication of the

trust and faith that consumers reposed

in our brand. Consumers got to vote

for the best brand and they voted for

Godrej Appliance which meant a lot

to all of us. And it fostered a great

sense of responsibility on each one of

us to live up to this expectation.

While we did well on the financials

and market position, the real icing on

the cake was our EON refrigerators

winning the Best Design Consumer

Durable award for the year from

Business World. An international jury

recognised Godrej for its innovative

use of cooling technology inrefrigerators whilst pitted against the

Samsungs, LGs and Whirlpools of the

world. This indeed was a great

moment for all of us.

All in all, the year has been extremely

eventful, fulfilling and gratifying and

has now set the stage for a quantum

jump that we are aiming in the ensuing

year.

Ch: What are the challenges of

working in the Appliance sector?

How did you overcome these

challenges?GMM: The biggest challenge not only

for Godrej but for the entire

industry is to make sufficient money

in this business. I say this as this

industry has one of the most adverse

cost structures. We all know the

crippling effect of commodity

increases. Prices of steel, copper,

aluminium, chemicals, plastics, key

ingredients in appliance are just going

through the roof. Therefore, ourpressing need is to optimise on our

cost structures and maximise our

realisations. The second challenge for

us is competing in the market place

with MNCs who are many more

times our size due to which we are

at a constant disadvantage on scale,

especial ly when it comes to

economies of buy, technology

investments, etc. So, strategically we

decided that to take on the goliathswe at Godrej needed to do things

differently - whether it was with our

products, channel or our service. We

said, let us create a value proposition

which none of these brands can

match. It was not enough to ride

on the legacy of a brand which was

more than 100 years old. Our

consumers had to see us as

delivering on the promise. To begin

with, we had to work on our

product portfolio and revamp it.

EON refrigerator was a classic

example of the same. We

simultaneously worked on our trade

channels to move away from thedistributor led operation to more of

a dealer based operation while

focusing on development of newemerging channels like modern trade.The network correction was takenup in right earnest by scientifically

mapping the markets on dimensionof Potential, Addressability and

Extraction identifying the gaps. Wealso worked on our after-sales-

service network to make service as

a key differentiator. And above all,

we focused on repositioning the

Godrej Appliances brand, a

Change July Aug

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