Godrej Group is the name that comes to everyone’s mind when we talk about one of India’s oldest and most successful conglomerates. Over the decades, we have witnessed the rise, reign and fall of a number of conglomerates that have not stood the test of time. However, Godrej Group is one of the few conglomerates in India that has been successful and dominating various sectors for more than 100 years. It was founded back in 1897 and in 2024, Godrej Group is estimated to be worth around Rs. 1.76 Lakh Crores.
Godrej Group operates across a range of industries including real estate, home appliances, furniture, security, agricultural products, consumer goods and industrial technology. The renowned conglomerate also has several subsidiaries and companies including Godrej Industries, Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Agrovet, Godrej Properties and Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.
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Meet lawyer and businessman Ardeshir Godrej, who founded the Godrej Group in colonial India
Ardeshir Burjorji Sorabji Godrej, better known as Ardeshir Godrej, was born into a wealthy Parsi family in Bombay (now Mumbai). His family used to be in the real estate business and it was in January 1871 when Ardeshir Godrej’s father changed their family name to Godrej. The reason for this is unknown, but the entire clan accepted the change of his family name. It was in 1890 that 22-year-old Ardeshir married Bachubai, who was just 18 at the time of their marriage.
After his marriage to Bachubai, Ardeshir Godrej completed his law studies in 1894 and started working as a lawyer. Additionally, due to his family’s wealthy status, he went to East Africa to practice law. However, due to some bad experiences while practicing law in East Africa, Ardeshir Godrej gave up practicing law and returned to India. After returning to Bombay, he found a job in a pharmacy, where he assisted a pharmacist. While assisting a pharmacist, Ardeshir saw a great opportunity in manufacturing surgical equipment and took out a loan of 100,000 rupees. 3,000 from his father’s friend to set up a manufacturing unit.
When Ardeshir Godrej got into the manufacturing of surgical devices, he got the chance to work for a British company. The young businessman accepted the proposal, but a dispute soon arose over the branding of the products. While the British company wanted to sell the products under their name, Ardeshir insisted on putting the name “Godrej” along with the “Made in India” label on the top of the products. After manufacturing surgical equipment for a while, Ardeshir closed the company and entered the locksmith business, which laid the foundation for the Godrej Group.
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Ardeshir Godrej founded Godrej Group with his brother Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej after cases of theft increased in Bombay
After quitting law and trying his hand at manufacturing surgical equipment, Ardeshir Godrej teamed up with his brother Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej when he heard about the massive rise in thefts in Mumbai. On May 7, 1897, Ardeshir and Pirojsha started working for their dream company, the Godrej Group. From fighting British curls to making almirahs, Ardeshir and Pirojsha created the world’s first soap without animal fats, which further increased their company’s reputation.
After India’s independence in 1947, Ardeshir Godrej and Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej expanded their business into various sectors. It was her excellent locksmith skills that made her company Godrej one of the most profitable companies in India. Another important milestone in Godrej’s journey that made them a well-known brand across India was when they were commissioned to manufacture 17 lakh ballot boxes for the first Lok Sabha elections in independent India in 1951. In the years that followed, Godrej became almost every Indian’s first choice when planning to purchase almirahs, refrigerators, electronic items and home appliances. If we fast forward to 2024, Godrej Group is estimated to be worth Rs. 1.76 Lakh Crores.
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The Godrej family is splitting the 127-year-old conglomerate Godrej Group into two parts
It was in May 2024 when Godrej Group released an official public statement in which the conglomerate clearly stated that it would be split into two parts. On one side we have Adi Godrej and his brother Nadir Godrej, on the other side they have their cousins Jamshyd Godrej and Smita Godrej Crishna.
According to the statement, the decision to demerge their 127-year-old family business was a collective decision of all members of the Godrej family. The demerger will help maximize strategic decisions and create long-term value for the conglomerate. It will be interesting to see whether this split will strengthen one of India’s oldest conglomerates or whether things will go sideways.
It is incredible how Ardeshir Godrej built Godrej, which is now one of India’s leading conglomerates. What do you think about his journey? Let us know.
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