Towards New Horizons

Vol 12-13 | October 2015For Free Distribution only

Towards New Horizons

T h e h O u s e m a g a z i n e O f G o d r e j & B o y c e M f G c o L t ds p e c i a l i s s u e

04 Cultural Change at G&b Navroze Godrej

10 Culture & Measurements Ravi Gilani

12 Godrej one Suruchi Trivedi

16 sprint ProgramNikhil, Nalini, Vazir, Sneha, Tejashree

18 Horizon ProgramKaustubh Joshi, Sujata Sanke

22 Kindness unlimitedDishaa Desai

24 towards new Horizons Parampal Singh

26 Designing the HubbleAvik Parui, Nagbhushan Hegde, Devesh Mistry

28 branding the HubbleGunjan Arya

29 A Dash of GarlicJaved Khan

31 bedazzledNalini Kala

34 examine express endorseSanghamitra Sen

36 Godrej After Hubble... one year onAnil Verma

38 Godrej Purpose PillarsHemmant Jha

40 Purpose Pillars: Answers soughtSuruchi Trivedi

46 exploring the Changing World through Purpose PillarsSuruchi Trivedi

50 Zen with bonsaiNikunj & Jyoti Parekh

52 Hemmant Jha on Design, Ambition and GodrejHemmant Jha

56 the Art & science of KaleidomVikrant Shitole

60 in our endeavour to be green we discovered Platinum!Hussain Shariyarr

66 yoga to Drive Away the bluesYogacharya Surakshit Goswami

68 Celebrating Dosabai Godrej naoroji's birth CentenaryDaisy Raj

70 the Winning streak

74 the Mind Meld

The CHANGE team is looking forward to hearing from you!Whether it is constructive feedback, an elaborate doodle or words of praise (especially if it’s praise), we want it!

You can mail your contributions, suggestions and feedback to:The Editor, Plant 12, 2nd Floor, Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. Pirojshanagar, Vikhroli (W) Mumbai 400079, India Or e-mail us at [email protected]

Visit us onlinechange.godrej.com

The ediTorial Team

Anil VermaHead, Edit Board

Nalini KalaEdit Board

Deepak BanotaEdit Board

Nariman BachaDistribution

s p e c i a l i s s u e

O c T O B E R 2 0 1 5

38

2412

34

56

E d i to r i a l

The culture of an organisation can be limiting and

is likely to define our thought-process. However, this

is often forgotten in discussions on strategy. It is

unlikely that our 10X10 vision can be realized without

intervening in reshaping of the culture that prevails in

our diverse businesses. Reshaping culture requires a

great deal of clarity and is never easy. In order to tap

into the strengths and capabilities of the organisation,

we must address this challenge.

Though initial steps have to be taken quickly, the

road ahead is long. Navroze Godrej has taken one

such step by putting up The Hubble. As he says in his

interview, “It is the space where people can come

together to collaborate for creating new solutions for

various problems faced by us.” Collaborating internally

is essential in order to break down the barriers that

prevent us from finding the required solutions.

Collaborating externally will give us the benefit of

being a networked organisation that shall create

path-breaking solutions.

We are looking at a cultural shift with The Hubble.

We invite you to share your ideas on the kind of talks,

events and conversations you would like to be a part of.

IA Collaborative, which has been working with the

Godrej team, articulated the “Godrej Purpose Pillars”.

These Pillars will drive us into the future, infuse our

work with purpose and give us a fresh view of the

users that we serve every day. In a thought-provoking

piece, the underlying concepts have been articulated,

in words and visually.

Ravi Gilani says, "Measurements drive the

behaviours of people in an organisation"; hence

they should be carefully designed. He advocates

TOC based measurements, which are meant to drive

collaborative behaviours. Parampal tells us how The

Hubble can propel us towards new horizons if we

adopt its ethos in the way that we work. Avik, Javed,

Nalini and Sanghamitra tell us how we have strived to

create experiences at The Hubble for Godrejites and

others, at the time of its launch as well as thereafter.

Godrej Appliances was awarded the GreenCo

Platinum certification, which clearly demonstrates

a great deal of progress made by Appliances in the

pursuit of becoming green. We also have a piece on

how the new ChotuKool was launched in an innovative

and creative manner in Latur and Ahmedabad. In

addition to the above, we have interesting pieces for

our readers on topics like Bonsai, Staying Fit, Kindness

Unlimited and the like.

I hope, this issue of CHANGE will have a wider appeal

with an improved balance between the business and

individual interest related articles. A special emphasis

has been given to photography to make the magazine

visually engaging.

For PrivAte CirCulAtion only

No part of the magazine can be reproduced in any form without due permission of the editor.

Published by Indrapal Singh on behalf of Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.

Printed by: Silverpoint, Mumbai

Design: Design Route, New Delhi

Indrapal SinghEditor

04in his interview with CHAnGe, Navroze Godrej shares his insights on our culture and why the time for its evolution is now.

46 52 Hemmant Jha, Chief Design officer, Godrej & Boyce, shares his thoughts on design, ambition and Godrej.

18

68

70

change O c t O b e r 2 0 1 54

What is ‘culture’ to you? What do you want our people to think of when you talk about culture?

Culture is how you carry yourself every day.

It is about the behavior that you exhibit, and

what you do over time that begins to stand

for who you are. It is the result of everything

that individuals say, and how they carry

themselves.

so, is it some kind of a code for doing things? is that what you want people to think of when you talk to them about culture?

Culture is made up of many different things.

It is people, processes and physical spaces;

all these things add up to create culture. An

organisation of our scale and diversity has

many priorities like ensuring that people are

happy, businesses are performing well and we

are giving back to the planet, and to society.

In each of these areas, we need to think about

how we are enabling success for the people

that work for the company.

Cultural Change at G&B

in his interview with CHAnGe, navroze Godrej shares his insights on our culture and why the time for its evolution is now.

5

Cultural Change at G&B

We are a 117 year-old organisation with an established culture. At this point in time, why do we want to talk about a new one?

Well, I wouldn’t say this is a new culture; it is

simply different, and isn’t about an enhanced

way of working. Having said that, there are

several aspects of our history and heritage

which we definitely want to hold on to. We

take great pride in our 117 year old history

and consider it to be an incredible strength.

It has created a very strong foundation.

Godrej is what it is today because there were

many smart people, who had extremely high

standards about what a business should

be like. They held on to those standards for

decades, and did not compromise, either

when entering new markets or on quality,

whether it were for products, people or the

planet. This set up a very strong foundation

because there was an obsessive commitment

to quality that we needed to live up to

constantly. And when you are living up to

quality of such high standards, it forces you

to look inward and ask yourself, are you really

the best today? Are you doing your best? Are

you creating strategies and products that are

so good that you don’t give people a choice

but to want to opt for you? I think we are in a

phase now, where we are looking inward. We

are asking ourselves – are we where we want

to be? In some cases we are, but I think in

many cases we have a long way to go.

The goals that we have set, both financial

and non-financial, are stretched and

ambitious, yet doable. I believe, this will

be possible, if we bring back some of the

uncompromising commitment to quality and if

we rethink the standards we want to achieve.

The Godrej brand was built over decades. If

you talk of Storewel, it is a great story in brand

building. It has now become an icon because

it was an extraordinarily crafted product;

the best steel, the best paint and the best

hardware. They didn’t have market research to

prove or disprove the standard of the product;

they just believed in the highest quality. And

delivering that quality year-after-year, decade

after-decade, built the brand.

"The traditional relationship of an employer and an employee is fading. Companies need to think of themselves as platforms for people to do their best work."


What will the future Godrej culture comprise of?

Standing here in the present, it makes us

realize that everything we do today has to

be of the highest quality, because we believe

in it and that’s who we want to be. It is going

to take time to get us to accept this, and

subsequently, make the changes required

for us to raise the bar in our own individual

performance. If we reflect internally and do

what is required to be done, then people

on the outside will see a different Godrej;

a different brand. Further, the external

environment today is very different from

what it was ten years ago or for that matter,

even five years ago. People have more choices

today than ever before. In this context, it

becomes harder for companies to compete,

especially when the difference between

companies becomes less apparent. As we

pursue this very high standard, we also have

to think strategically about what is going to

make Godrej different from everyone else.

What are we going to leverage to shine

brighter than anyone else?

Today, not only is there more competition

but people are changing as well. When you

talk about culture, it comes down to the

people in the organisation. If Godrej is going

to be a place where people want to work and

spend a large part of their lives, then it needs

to be the kind of workplace where today’s

youth, rather tomorrow’s youth, would aspire

to work.

Which aspects of our culture do you think should stay unchanged?

Ours is a very caring company where we

not only care for the employees, but for the

communities that we occupy and partner

with. I think this is something that we would

definitely want to hold on to. We need to

create a place that feels like family. A place

that supports our communities, cares for

the environment and cares for its people.

Being a manufacturing company, making and

experimenting is in our blood. I think making,

tinkering and trying new things is a very

strong part of our company’s DNA. This needs

to be revisited, so that we can try to explore

and experiment more.

Which aspects of our culture would you like to change over the next three years?

We must realize that today, people have

many options when it comes to choosing a

place of work. Companies are competing for

acquiring talent and it is going to be a big

challenge in the years to come. If we have to

be successful, then it is important that we take

a closer look at how we support our people,

how our systems and policies affect people

on a day-to-day basis, and how our structure

permits or prevents our people from excelling.

I think our operating system at the moment

looks inward. We must compare ourselves

with the best companies in the industry.

We need to think about how we can match

them in terms of empowering our people,

the kind of challenges they put forth and

the way they inspire people to want to work

for them. I see no reason why Godrej should

not aim to become like them. In order to do

that, we need to become much more open,

and move away from a culture of control

to a culture of empowerment. We have to

nurture our people - both professionally and

personally; that is when people will give their

best in return. We have a patient culture,

but it needs to be changed to a balance of

"If we reflect internally and do what is required to be done, then people on the outside will see a different Godrej; a different brand."

"Ours is a very caring company where we not only care for the employees, but for the communities that we occupy and partner with. I think this is something that we definitely want to hold on to."

7

patience and performance. I am sure we can

bring about this change. This will also change

the kind of people that we attract, with the

help of whom, over time, our culture will

evolve. Further, related to empowerment

are the issues of experimentation and

collaboration. Today, we are not very good

at collaborating with external partners. For

that matter, our businesses are not good at

collaborating among themselves. We need to

collaborate more often. For that, we need to

think of ourselves as a network, as opposed

to a group of distinct entities. This relates to

our structure as we have so many incredible

capabilities that reside only in pockets. We

need to share these capabilities more with

others, open them up and enable a bigger

flow of knowledge and ideas among our

businesses. I would like to break down some

of the existing barriers. I believe, today we

are not structured in a way that facilitates the

flow. We need to think about, “What does a

networked organisation look like and how we

are going to get there?”

Where does Hubble fit in, and as its chief sponsor what according to you is the core idea behind it?

As I was saying, the traditional relationship

of an employer and an employee is fading.

Companies need to think of themselves as

platforms for people to do their best. So,

if a company is a platform for people to do

their best, then that means that it needs to

provide the framework and the capability for

its people to shine. The Hubble is a platform

that allows people to engage with each

other. It’s very open and inviting. It provides a

framework for doing work, for collaborating,

and leaves it up to the people to decide

how they want to collaborate. It’s a loosely

controlled environment where individuals can

come in, explore, meet and engage with one

another. The Hubble is a prototype for what a

future company could look like. By providing

the context and having really smart people

engaging in this platform, we will be allowed

and enabled to flourish. I hope The Hubble

becomes a platform for collaboration, where

ideas are born and built. I hope it becomes an

enjoyable place to work. It’s also an example

of what Godrej can do, an example of how

collaboration can lead to something much

larger than what any individual or team can

deliver. Pooling together the capabilities of

multiple teams could yield stronger results.

“Hubble is a platform that allows people to engage with it. It’s very open and inviting. It provides a framework for doing work, for collaborating, and leaves it up to the people to decide how they want to collaborate.”


in what ways do you think the Hubble experience would shape the mindset and behaviour of our people?

Hopefully, The Hubble will break down

barriers that we have put up between

departments and between businesses. This

will enable people to reach out to those in

other companies, benefit from the exchange

and learn something new. The Hubble fosters

these kinds of encounters. The space itself

is of very high quality, both in terms of the

way that the products have come out, as well

as in terms of the overall feel. It sets a new

standard for such projects and would inspire

people to partake in endeavours of very high

quality.

As the Hubble is work in progress, which aspects of it are you happy with today and which aspects do you think require more work?

I’m happy that this space is very flexible

and it allows us a variety of activities - right

from meetings, to events to exhibitions. We

still have to make it more meeting-friendly

by providing better tools, technology and

creating more spaces that are projector

enabled. This is something we are still working

on. Also, we think we need to bring in the

external world as well, for example outside

communities. The Hubble can be a space for

us to engage with communities like architects

and students. It can be a place for us to build

external networks, which is something that

we have to plan for, in order to be more open.

so, you want more people to use it?

Yes, more people should use it and we

shouldn’t control The Hubble. If it’s a platform

for collaboration, creativity and reaching

out, then it should be made open to anyone

who wants to access it. For students looking

for a place to work, small businesses that

don’t have an office space; their only option

is Starbucks. Which means, that there is

definitely a need for this kind of a space in

this city and we’ve got a good facility here.

It would also give us a way to engage with

different communities.

Please describe the contours of the desirable culture at G&b.

Anything that is open and forward-looking,

and one where there is no fear of trying out

new and different things. Openness is very

important; openness to new ideas, different

points of view, backgrounds, ideologies,

our systems and the way that we work. The

forward-thinking aspect of our culture is like

the North Star, guiding us to have a purpose

and encouraging us to go after problems,

going after problems that are really worth

solving and pursuing. We have several

challenges as a country and as a planet. A

forward-thinking mindset is essential if we

are going to try to solve these big complex

problems. We have to be able to step in the

future, stand there and say what our role will

be and how we will impact the world around

us.

"Openness is very important; openness to new ideas, different points of view, backgrounds, ideologies, our systems and the way that we work."

"The forward-thinking aspect of our culture is like the North Star, guiding us to have a purpose and encouraging us to go after problems, going after things that are really worth solving and pursuing."

9

What is your message to Godrejites?

They are our hope. How they think and

what they do is going to affect what G&B

would look like in the next five or ten years.

So I would say, don’t be afraid to stick your

neck out if that’s what is required. Set a high

standard for yourself and for the people

around you. Above all, do good work. Do work

that is good for your customers, community

and the people around you.

And when you are living up to high quality

standards, it forces you to look inward and ask

yourself, are you really the best today? Are

you doing your best? And, are you creating

strategies and products that are so good that

you don’t leave people a choice but to want

to opt for what you have to offer? I think we

are at a place, where we are looking inward,

we are asking ourselves- ARE WE WHERE WE

WANT TO BE?

“Hopefully, The Hubble will break down

the barriers that we ourselves have put

up between departments and between

businesses.”

WHAT DoES CHANGE mEAN To you Share your thoughts on how Godrej is changing and how this change is impacting your life. [email protected]


in 2003, i was requested to turn around an automotive component manufacturing plant that was in losses for the last 7 consecutive years, by applying theory of Constraints (toC). Its loss in the previous year was INR

12 crores for a turnover of Rs. 38 crores. The

situation was quite precarious; a potential

customer, who had agreed to take over the

unit, developed cold feet after conducting

due diligence. The only options that remained

for the owner were either turning around or

closing down the business.

During my first dialogue with the top

management team, I asked how they

measured their business performance. Their

answer was: tons of gears produced and

sold. Since the measurement was tons for all

production departments, it was logical for all

departments to increase their production as

measured in tons. The company was losing

money due to inadequate sales. The sale of

one of its main products – a differential gear

set (crown wheel + pinion) was quite low.

Despite these low sales figures, there was

a huge inventory of crown wheels. When I

asked why they had such a huge inventory, I

was informed that they did not have matching

pinions. Since pinion weight is just about

20-25 percent of the crown wheel weight,

the heat treatment department was focusing

only on processing crown wheels, without

accounting for the fact that there were huge

stocks of crown wheels and a shortage of

pinions. I did recognize that this was done with

the genuinely noble intention of increasing

the department’s performance.

The team readily agreed to change their

prime measurement to throughput- a

financial measurement (Net sales-truly

variable cost) and OTIF (On Time In Full)

- a delivery performance measurement.

However, when I suggested that all the top

management team members must also be

measured on throughput and OTIF, there was

a near revolt. “What will happen to individual

accountability?” I was asked.

I requested members of the top

management team to share how many

promotions each one of them had received

in the last 7 years, when the company was

going downhill. The average promotions

were two. No one received less than one

promotion, some even had three! Every

member must have done exceedingly well

in their key result areas (KPIs) to deserve on

an average of two promotions. So what was

the issue? The local/functional KPIs were

not aligned with the global/overall good

business measurements. OTIF was not being

measured at all, even though it was less than

Culture & Measurements

Ravi GilaniGolDrAtt inDiA

culture is defined as a collective manifestation of human intellectual achievement and behaviours exhibited. Does culture have any relationship with measurements, be it formal or informal? I would like to share this by narrating a personal experience.

11

5 percent. I informed the management team

members that, if they were going to seek

my counsel and support this turnaround, all

of them must have common performance

measurements. Reluctantly, they agreed to

try this for 3 months: in the very first month

sales increased by 29 percent!

When we look at the KPIs for most

departments, we find misaligned

measurements wherein often production

teams produce not what increases sales but

what is convenient for them. The Purchase

department procures, not when production

requires, but when the cost is low. Similarly,

the logistics department did not ship out

goods due to cost, even though the delivery

had already been quite delayed.

In my experience of TOC consulting for

the last 16 years, I have observed that the

root cause of most ineffective behaviours

is erroneous measurement. Today, most

organisations complain about the lack of

teamwork among its employees. It is even

more pronounced at senior levels. Throughout

the year we ask for teamwork from our

employees. However, when it comes to

reward and recognition, we have KPIs only for

individual achievements.

Once again let me illustrate this from

another personal experience. An organisation

Measurements drive behavior. If you do not have right measurements, you have no right to expect right behavior!

had 5 business units (BUs). Most of the times,

these business units were self-sufficient.

They did not require support from other BUs.

However, sometimes they did require help

for one or the other facility from each other.

What was the experience? Support to any

activity outside the BU was the last priority.

Why? Each BU was measured by its profit

and all the BU heads were competing for the

post of President. Hence, if one BU helps any

other BU it stood to lose. First, the profit of the

receiving BU would go up, and thereby, the

performance of the delivering BU would go

down in comparison!

The perception that profit is the correct

performance measurement is wrong. The

assumption, that if every BU increases its

profits, the profit of the whole organisation

will increase, is correct. However, the

assumption that it is the best way to increase

profit of the whole organisation is wrong.

No matter how the sales, throughput and

cost is divided between two BUs, the overall

sales, throughput, cost and profit of the whole

organisation would still remain the same.

We modified the performance measurement

of the BUs. Now, whenever more than one

BU was involved in delivering an order, all

the participating BUs would get complete

throughput of the complete order. We were

no longer looking at the profit of each BU,

rather the new measurement was increasing

throughput of each BU, period after period.

We now observed a totally new desirable

phenomenon. Every morning, the BU head

was asking the other if he/she required any

help! Within 8 months, the OTIF increased

from 8 percent to over 68 percent! Sales and

profit also increased correspondingly. In fact,

one worker suggested that TOC should be

known as Theory of Collaboration instead of

Theory of Constraints.

Dr. Eli Goldratt used to say, “Measurements

drive behaviour. If you do not have the

right measurements, you have no right to

expect the right behaviour!” I believe that

most of the cost accounting local measures

like freight cost as percent of sales, product

cost, profit, stage wise inventory valuation,

profit for part of the organisation (profit

centre/SBU/division) etc. are not aligned

with the best global financial parameters

i.e. Net Profit, ROCE & Free Cash Flow. This,

inadvertently, encourages local optimization

that leads to wrong and harmful behaviour

among employees. Instead, a few (3-5) global

measurements, which every employee can

relate to, will promote the right behaviour and

culture.


As we all know, ‘synergy’ means one plus one equals three, and not two. However, in

our daily work lives, we seldom come together

to create greater value for our customers. For

the year gone by, Navroze Godrej wanted our

businesses to showcase ‘possible offerings’

that could result if they worked collaboratively

to meet the needs of the fast changing Indian

consumer – both individual and business.

For this exhibition, three different market

sectors were selected - Home, Work and

Infrastructure. The goal was to develop

comprehensive solutions collaboratively

and display them in real-life settings. Our

businesses have been showcasing their new

products / solutions to our Board of Directors

every year for several years, which, in a way,

has now become a tradition.

A great deal of work was undertaken

across businesses, wherein a large number of

people joined hands to create solutions that

had never been thought of earlier. A lot of

research was carried out to gain fresh insights.

These insights became the foundation for the

solutions to be displayed at the exhibition;

which was aptly called ‘Godrej one’. It was

decided that Godrej One would have a life-like

ambience.

Each of the three sectors would enable

the visitors to experience and visualize

Godrej OneExperience the numerous possibilities for the future

a R e p O R T

Godrej One showcased 'possible offerings' that could result if our businesses worked collaboratively to meet the needs of the fast changing Indian consumer - individual and business.

Suruchi TrivediGoDreJ innovAtion & DesiGn Centre

13

Home SectorOur research on the Home sector revealed that today’s

home owners are stressed by shrinking living spaces, heightened anxiety regarding security and fatigue caused by longer working hours. Keeping these findings in view, ‘Live more’ was selected as the theme for the Home sector for developing home solutions. These solutions were designed to help homeowners perform everyday tasks efficiently and effortlessly.

numerous possibilities for the future. Our

visual communication partners were invited

to engage with our teams for making the

exhibition visually appealing and easily

understandable.

The emphasis was on going beyond their

functions and conserving space to deliver

unified, streamlined B2B solutions that

provided a totally new work experience. The

collaborative B2C offerings were well captured

in the words – With Godrej, Live Enhanced, Live Energized, Live Ensured, and Live Enriched!


Work SectorBanking & Financial Institutions and Healthcare segments

were selected to showcase our capabilities of providing well thought-out institutional solutions. The theme of ‘Godrej Integrated’ was agreed upon by the teams of different businesses for developing solutions that would enhance the end-user experience at the workplace. An attempt was made to showcase how different offerings, taken collectively from G&B, could provide greater value to customers in these segments.

Kamal Nandi of Godrej appliances was asked to head

the entire effort. To support him, three sector-specific

leaders were appointed:

the Home sector Ramesh Chembath, appliances

Subodh mehta, interio

the Work sectormehernosh Pithawalla, Security Solutions

Swapnil Nagarkar, interio

the infrastructure sectorGanesh Raghavan, eFaCeC

15

Infrastructure SectorIt is common knowledge that India is fast emerging as a

preferred manufacturing and investment destination. But to make this happen in a big way, a globally competitive infrastructure is a must. Our indigenous competencies of global standards across core sectors like Energy, Defence, Manufacturing & Distribution Logistics were brought alive through a thoughtfully created experience. It created a favourable imprint in the minds of the Directors and other visitors. It was heartening to see that everyone who visited the display was impressed by the power of ‘oneness’ and the variety of solutions it could offer.

The exhibition as such was a prototype of what G&B could achieve collaboratively in order to reach emerging customers. Our teams were elated as their work was highly appreciated by one and all.

The success of the superlative infrastructure exhibit was spurred by its theme – ‘What drives us, drives the nation’. This highlights our contribution to nation building.


one saturday morning sometime in August 2014, five of us were in the middle of brainstorming session for generating ideas that could help spread an innovation culture at Godrej. One of the ideas that immediately

struck a chord with all of us was about finding

a way, a platform, which would encourage

Godrejites to bring in their own ideas to work

upon, in a structured manner, and bring them

alive as working prototypes. All of this was

to be accomplished within a well-defined

timeline which would not be exasperatingly

long. In the recent past, our team had

been through a structured process of

innovation, which became the natural choice

for becoming the foundation for this new

platform. With this simple thought, SPRINT

was born and was launched in November 2014.

What is sPrint?In any organisation, there are millions of

ideas residing in the minds of our people.

Of all the ideas which may have substantial

potential, very few get the opportunity to be

translated into a business to create significant

impact. Godrej introduced SPRINT as a

springboard for such ideas to germinate and

bloom. The first idea was SPRINT itself! Getting

conceptualized and implemented in a span of

90 days.

Through this program, people get to work

on their ideas, either individually or in a team,

to convert them into functional prototypes.

This journey of 90 days requires people

to dedicate about 20% of their work time.

The participants get to learn a structured

innovation process that helps refine the

idea and develop it further. All the resources

necessary to take the idea to fruition are

provided under the program.

At the end of the program, ideas emerge

as working prototypes, whether for products,

services, processes, user experiences,

platforms or anything else that one dreamt

of. The organisation on the other hand, gets

an opportunity to access fresh ideas from

within, evaluate them for business potential,

adopt them and nurture them into business

offerings.

Sprint ProgramRun at full speed over a short distance.

G&B has launched a platform for employees to bring in ideas they are passionate about and transform them into business offerings in a short period of time.

Nikhil Chaudhari

Tejashree Joshi

Sneha Gokhale

Vazir Nadaph

Nalini Kala

The organisation gets an opportunity to access fresh ideas from within, evaluate them for business potential, adopt them and nurture them into business offerings.

17

What happens next? Journey of the ideas post 90 days

On the last day of SPRINT, the teams

get a chance to pitch their projects to all

the business heads for sponsorship. If the

business sees good potential in the idea to be

nurtured further and brought in the market,

then they offer the sponsorship for the

project. That particular business nurtures the

idea and adopts it in their business. The team

has an option either to take the project ahead

themselves by shifting to the business which

has adopted the idea or to let a new team take

the project ahead.

“ This is the right platform, this is the right time to get that idea out, and watch it come to life”sPrinter AbHinAv MAne

ExPERIENcE Of SPRINTER fROM fIRST EDITION

sPrint Project: Kitchen neoIt all started with just an idea, an idea

to make our kitchens a safe place to work

in. Ideas are for free and worthy too, but

we cannot recognize the actual worth

until the idea is tested. SPRINT gave us the

platform to test our idea. I worked on the

project “Kitchen Neo”. At the start, creating

a prototype out of the idea in 90 days

was just a task but eventually it became a

challenge. The user centric research model

helped us understand the ultimate needs

of the end user without which it is hard to

reach a foolproof solution. For instance,

user research revealed that, safety in

kitchens was a secondary need whereas

comfortable environment and convenient

processes were the primary and

unaddressed needs of the users. Research

findings and our brainstorming sessions

collectively resulted in final prototypes

that took care of all the needs of the user.

The complete SPRINT program was very

well planned and effectively executed.

I would like to thank the team working

backstage, who made it happen. Lastly, I

just want to say, if you have an idea, just go

and sprint with it.

sorAbH MuKHiGODREJ INTERIO DESIGN

M e s s A G e F r o M n A v r o Z einnovation is essential in today’s environment

Operating in today’s complex social, political and economic scenario means we need to think constantly about how to adapt to people’s changing needs and to the major shifts in the markets that we operate in. Godrej has a strong legacy of innovation. But how can we make sure that this legacy continues. Where are the next big ideas coming from? Ideas can come from anywhere. They come from observing users. They come from immersion into people’s daily lives. They are discovered through tinkering, and prototyping and trying new things. They can come from a brilliant individual or brilliant teams.

We’ve launched the SPRINT program to give everyone at Godrej an opportunity to share their brilliant ideas.”

sPrint 1.0In the first edition of SPRINT (1st November

2014 to 31stJanuary 2015), 75 ideas were

received and evaluated by the jury panel

comprising business heads, design heads

and the Innovation & Design Centre

head. The 11 ideas selected for SPRINT 1.0

were: Smarti Next - resource furniture for

transients, Kitchen Neo, Tea brewer and

ambient experience, web based scrap

collector, furniture and accessories from

scrap for spaces for young couples, complete

knock-down refrigerator, smart mattress for

enhanced sleeping experience, Upgrade to

Green- household organic waste convertor,

Smart Homes - an app, facilitating home

automation, empowering roadside vendors,

smart and efficient homes - a sensor based

device for safety and convenience.

All these ideas were subjected to the

structured innovation process, over a

period of 90 days. The teams engaged in

user research, captured observations and

derived patterns, built concepts based on

the insights and prototyped those concepts.

It was exciting to see the transformation

journey of ideas into viable business projects.

For instance, the idea of the ‘Tea brewer

assembly’ started with the concept of bringing

the taste of homemade tea to the vending

machine. But the team realized during the

user research that it’s not just the taste of

tea that matters to the users but also the

ambient experience of having tea especially

with friends and family. Similarly, the ‘Kitchen

Neo’ project started with the initial concept

of an ‘LPG leakage control unit’. But after user

research, the team realized that concerns

related to LPG leakage are secondary for the

users while there are other pains that may

need immediate attention. And thereafter,

the idea transformed into a complete kitchen

system including an LPG leakage control unit,

a cooling solution for kitchen and a semi-

automatic dish washer.

The user centric research model helped us understand the ultimate needs of the end user without which it is hard to reach a foolproof solution.

“Sprint is a platform where in people get an opportunity to explore their ideas”sPrinter AbHinAv MAne

“Sprint changed our direction of thinking”sPrinter sWAPnil MHAtre


the Horizon Program has been one of the most exciting learning opportunities for us, Godrejites, and we can emphatically say that

such programmes are essential not only for

professionals to learn new ways of working,

but also for organisations that wish to embark

on a journey of innovation for offering

solutions to customers rather than selling

more products.

The six months long Horizon programme

focused on projects based on our six Purpose

Pillars – Security, Well-Being, Lifestyle, Productivity, Connectivity and Energy. There

were six teams – each working on one of

these themes. The team members were

drawn from the Innovation & Design Centre as

well as from the Businesses. Team members

were selected carefully in order to represent a

diversity of functional experience.

Programmes like Horizon force one,

in a positive way, to think beyond one's

functional and technical expertise and one's

chosen field of work. Meeting a diverse

set of users and working with people from

different backgrounds makes one think more

innovatively, from a user’s point of view. If an

organisation restricts itself to benchmarking

with other organisations then the process

improvements that could take place may

be limited by what already is in existence.

However, if our intention is to move beyond

what already exists and offer solutions that

do not exist, then we have no option but

to engage in programmes such as Horizon,

which may even yield outcomes that could be

benchmarked by others.

Horizon ProgramA unique six months long program to explore consumer needs through a set of innovative methods and tools, to help reshape the culture in the organisation.

Kaustubh Joshi Sujata SankeGoDreJ innovAtion & DesiGn Centre

Any organisation attempting to be successful in the long run has to think of 'what their customers want' and not 'what they want to sell to their customers'. The programme has the potential to bring about a huge change at Godrej, which is a far cry from the silos of individual businesses and functions.

Above: Teams communicating their insights to GmC

members through a roleplay

right : Teams building low fidelity prototypes to explore and

evaluate their concepts.

19


Projects like Horizon are not limited

to a particular sector like manufacturing

or service or a particular domain. Such

projects transcend beyond the barriers

set by operational parameters and look

at the solutions from the end-user’s lens.

This is what makes such projects succeed

in many organisations. Eventually, directly

or indirectly, such projects turn out to be

instrumental in reshaping the thinking and the

mind-set of people associated with it.

One of the essential requirements to work

on a project like Horizon is to be unbiased

towards one’s assumptions. Any organisation

attempting to be successful in the long run

has to think of “what their customers want”

and not “what they want to sell to their

customers”. The programme has the potential

to bring about a huge change at Godrej,

which is a far cry from the silos of individual

businesses and functions. We need to inspire

our people to think about and work on a

larger purpose of offering, to our customers,

elements of security, well-being, lifestyle,

productivity, connectivity and energy, which

are already embedded in Purpose Pillars.

Having participated in a program like Horizon,

an employee may change his mindset

completely which may result in a shift in

his approach towards the work itself. For

instance, an employee in LOCKSS pursuing his

goals for sales, could now be thinking about

how he is addressing the needs of customers

to make them feel secure and help them lead

a better life instead of merely thinking about

selling more locks.

User research was one of the most

important aspects of this programme in

which each of the teams learnt about, and

developed, new user insights which they

had neither thought of nor been exposed

to earlier. In fact, the teams would not have

been able to articulate these insights, had

they based their research on their own

assumptions about the way things exist and

the way they work. Each of the teams was

mentored by a faculty member from the

Institute of Design, IIT, Chicago who provided

guidance through interactive sessions on user

research, concept development, prototyping,

communication and design tools as well as

methods.

Team dynamics played an important role

in the successful completion of the Horizon

programme. As each team consisted of

members drawn from different functions and

businesses, they often had to build on each

others. When the participants observed user

behaviour, many different themes emerged

out of their observations. It is important not

to disregard any of these individual themes.

Each participant brought value to the project

and had a way of contributing to it which

was different from that of the other team

members.

We believe that the link between the

Horizon projects and the Purpose Pillars

has been very helpful for all the teams as it

gave them a sense of purpose and meaning

throughout their six month long journey.

There were instances when the Purpose Pillars

served as a compass for us and saved our

ships from getting lost in the vast ocean of

user demands and expectations. The Purpose

Pillars gave a sense of direction and focus to

each of the teams without limiting the scope

User research was one of the most important aspects of this programme in which each of the teams learnt about and developed new user insights which they had not thought of or were exposed to earlier.

21

of their work to a single business.

The fun part for all the Horizon participants

was also, perhaps, the most tense. The

night before the presentations to the GMC

members were indeed long and demanding.

Many a times, team members would complete

their work early in the morning and would

have just an hour or two to refresh themselves

after a nightlong session and be ready for

the presentations. The sense of involvement

that the GMC members showed in the work

presented by the teams over three phases,

was a great motivator, beyond any doubt.

The feedback received from the senior

leaders during the first set of presentations,

helped the teams immensely to improve their

research and concept development.

Sooner or later, organisations that wish

to succeed will have to embark on new and

innovative ways of providing solutions to

their customers. This will make them question

and change many of their existing ways of

doing things. In order to succeed and perhaps

even survive in the near future, they will have

to look at developing a culture where, they

not only look at their offers from a user’s

perspective but also learn the way users

perceive their offers.

Projects like Horizon are, definitely,

essential for bringing about a change in the

mindset of our people and reshaping the

culture. Such programmes help change the

way people look at what they are doing, the

processes they are following, the interactions

they have internally amongst themselves and

externally with their customers, end-users,

suppliers and partners. The Horizon project is

one such initiative which compells people look

at their jobs afresh and holistically.

The Purpose Pillars gave a sense of direction and focus to each of the teams without limiting the scope of their work to a single business.

Such programmes help change the way people look at what they are doing, and the processes they are following.


Kindness unlimited (Kul) is a Mumbai based non-profit organisation that aims to spread kindness as an antidote to the increasing predominance of selfishness around us. It seeks to emphasize the positive

effect that a random act of kindness has on

the doer, receiver and observer. KUL is a

member of The World Kindness Movement,

an international organisation whose main

objective is to foster goodwill in communities

by promoting kindness, and in doing so,

creating a better understanding amongst

people and eventually, amongst the nations of

the world.

KUL has participated and co-organized

many events with associations, such as

Rotary and collaborated with various schools,

colleges, youth camps and senior citizens

clubs to develop programmes that aim to

spread the message of kindness.

Corporate kindness programmes that

include team-building workshops have been

conducted with the aim of emphasizing the

importance of kindness in the workplace. KUL

has also designed programmes for hospitals,

to help the medical staff imbibe kindness as

part of the treatment given to patients, so as

to quicken the healing process.

On 10th November 2013, a flash-mob -

freeze-mob (a flash dance performance) was

held in Mumbai to promote unity amongst

the citizens of Mumbai and to convey that

the smallest act of kindness is worth much

more than the loftiest intent. KUL has also

partnered with colleges in Mumbai to hold

events such as Roadrunners, where the

participants have to overcome a series of

obstacles to reach the end of the race. Other

events have entailed spending a day with a

street child to develop their social conscience

and brightening the lives of children.

In January 2014, KUL initiated a discussion

forum called Kindness Hangout, which meets

once every month and brings together

individuals who have worked for the common

good. This discussion forum creates a ‘pay

it forward’ atmosphere and encourages the

members to share their experiences with each

other for promoting kindness. Occasionally,

an expert is invited to speak to the group

on the topics pertaining to common good

or corporate social responsibility, to inform

members about the kind of initiatives that

companies are undertaking to improve the

Kindness UnlimitedKindness is a two way street and there are plenty of opportunities for us to be kind every day.

t r y A l i t t l e K i n D n e s s

If in a long queue, invite the person behind you to go first

j

Dishaa DesaiAn ACtive Kul MeMber

if i am not for myself, who will be for me?

if i am only for myself, what am i?

and if not now, when?

Talmud

23

lives of people. These discussions spark off

new or related ideas to be acted upon in

different situations and locations. Shared

experiences create a bond and if an idea is

accepted, the participants are encouraged to

express their gratitude in good measure to

promote give and take of all kinds. Speakers

at the Hangout include well-known writer and

journalist Dilip D’Souza, Senior Vice President

– Tata Consultancy Services, Suresh Mhatre,

an enthusiastic citizen, Bharati Kakkad, RTI

activist Vidya Vaidya amongst others. KUL

members have benefitted immensely from

the socially relevant work done by these

committed individuals.

At the end of each session, members are

encouraged to share the details of random

acts of kindness or just the acts of kindness

performed by them or performed for them by

others, to enable the members to appreciate

that kindness is a two way street and there are

plenty of opportunities for us to be kind every

day. For example, one particular member

came forward and helped two other members

to decide on their daily physical fitness regime

in exchange for their help with his English

conversational skills. Another member helped

a fellow member by giving references of a

doctor with good values who could be trusted.

This led to the member getting admitted into

the hospital under the care of this particular

doctor and also the person concerned visiting

him during his stay at the hospital, and

cheering him up. It is difficult to imagine,

this kindness among strangers in a city like

Mumbai where even relatives and friends

have no time to visit each other. Another

member took up teaching English to the

children of immigrants in Mumbai.

At every meeting, members share their own

experiences and create a great amount of

positive energy in the group.

During our most recent meeting, one of

the members mentioned that he keeps a

few bottles of cold and clean water outside

the door of his flat on a stool with a sign that

this water was meant for all those calling on

his address, be it be courier boys, postmen,

service technicians and others. They can

drink this water on a hot summer day without

ringing the bell and taking permission.

This member ensures that the bottles are

refreshed every few hours. What a nice way to

quench the thirst of strangers.

It is now scientifically established that

performing random acts of kindness boosts

one’s own happiness and sense of wellbeing.

In times when selfishness rules, KUL

strongly advocates that kindness is a universal

language that transcends all barriers and is a

powerful remedy for healthier and brighter

living.

you are invited to join the KuL movement and start your own group for promoting kindness. For help, please contact Nirmala mehendale at [email protected].


Donate regularly articles of common use - used clothing, books,

toys and the like

j


Hold the elevator door for your fellow commuter

j


Let someone get ahead of you in a queue, especially the elderly or a

hurrying mother with kids

j


Towards New HorizonsThe next few pages describe the concept, design and launch of The Hubble – our very own 3rd space in Pirojshanagar. Each of these pieces is written by a member of the team that worked to bring The Hubble to life.

25

on my daily commute from Khar to vikhroli, i pass the colourful, vibrant branding on the storefronts of linking road, the mercantile glass-and-steel facades of bKC, the cool green and red earthy expanse of the Maharashtra naturepark at Dharavi and then zip via the eastern express Highway onto our campus. While continuing to drive

along our internal roads at G&B, I think about

the greenery on our campus, about nature,

it’s nurturing, uplifting and even inspiring

qualities, and I wonder what the day has in

store for me.

Closer now to the building that I work in,

the colours of the canvas begin to shift –

suddenly more concrete, more gray, more

brown, more heavy, more structured, more

ordered, more controlled even. And I begin

to wonder – would the way we work and the

quality of our interactions change, if we were

to be immersed in a different environment?

Would we begin to look at the world a little

differently? Winston Churchill once said – “We

shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape

us.”

We all must know by now that consumers

are no longer willing to pay more just for

better products. They desire delightful

Parampal SinghPersonnel & ADMinistrAtion


experiences and will back brands that deliver

them. Even more relevant for us is the fact

that each of our business’s customers are not

really that different from each other. While the

demographic characteristics of our customers

across businesses are not the same, their

internal needs and desires may actually be

quite convergent, quite similar. For instance,

individuals, families, communities and

countries all have a need for security, although

the manifestations of the solutions for their

specific security needs would obviously be

quite different. Given this reality, shouldn’t

people working on ‘security’ problems come

together at work, sharing knowledge, insights,

networks and know-how?

What would that take? What would work

look like in such an organisation? Would there

be more teamwork? More collaboration?

More openness? More dialogue? Would that

necessitate more structure or less? Would

such work imply more fluidity?

Lots of questions, right? So, why am I not

giving you any answers? Well, that’s because

there are still some more questions.

As we become less dependent on machines

for value creation and as the epicenter of

value creation gently shifts away from the

shop-floor of the factory to neural networks

in our minds, when do we actually start

working and stop working? Aren’t ‘start’ and

‘stop’ relics of a bygone era when it comes to

knowledge and work? A deep conversation

with an old friend or a random chat with a

new acquaintance at work, a peek into the

latest glossy magazine or an in-depth study of

structural dynamics or what not; can all lead

to an idea or at least the germination of one.

Ideas, thoughts and inspiration can come from

unexpected sources. Are we interfacing with

the unexpected enough? Are we exploring?

Also, as we ‘stop working’ we might find

ourselves longer in the office. Is there a space

where we can take a break for a bit, enjoy a

nice, hot cup of coffee, refuel from a slightly

different menu of food and relax in an easy

chair, all while being at work?

Is there a third place, one that’s neither

home nor office, but, in a way, both? Allow me

to introduce such a space to you.

The Hubble is an idea that was born at the

intersection of all of the above. It is now the

tangible expression of an idea of an informal,

relaxed yet vibrant space in which one feels

refreshed through casual and interesting food,

informal and open interaction with others, a

bit of ‘me-time’ and of course, exposure to new

ways of looking at the world. Entering this

space and interacting with it is like putting on

a pair of glasses to enter a world, a seemingly

un-Godrej world, one that will help us to see

differently and to be surprised by what we see.

We create The Hubble experience together.

There is no Hubble without the bubbling

enthusiasm of the people that are in it, without

the chance encounters over a shot of coffee,

without the excitement of working together

on a new idea, without the exposure to what’s

new and out there. While The Hubble is not the

answer to all the questions I have posed earlier

in this piece, it represents the direction of a

solution. It is the hardware around which we

the Hubble is neither a workspace nor is it a recreational space or a food court that you’d typically find in an office environment. It is an

unusual space where people come together

to meet, eat, work and explore. It is a young

vibrant place with many dimensions and has

an atmosphere which is designed to facilitate

‘me time’ or ‘we time,’ as well as, ‘work time’ to

get things done. It is also a place for people to

bond with each other over a cup of a coffee or

engage in an intense brainstorming session. It’s

a place where you can re-energize yourself by

playing a game or two of table tennis.

At the entrance, a giant touch-screen greats

you and connects you to the kind of things

that you are going to encounter through

the messages displayed, the food menu,

the itinerary of events etc. One step in and

the aroma of the coffee from the café sets

the mood for the space that will unfold. The

space has many interesting elements such as,

elevated wooden levels with a grid structure

above, to give a flexible space for celebrations,

performances, exhibitions and large community

gatherings. Each element at The Hubble is

created keeping the users’ needs in mind.

For example, the work pods allow you to sit

comfortably and work using your laptop or a

Designing The Hubble

Avik Parui GoDreJ innovAtion & DesiGn Centre

Nagbhushan HegdeGoDreJ interio

Devesh mistryGoDreJ interio

Would the way we work, the quality of our interactions change if we were to be immersed in a different environment?

27

notebook without distractions. Round tables with chairs help you connect and work in small

groups of three or four. The conference room

allows you to work in teams and collaborate

for finding new solutions. In case you want to

have quiet time and browse through a book,

the circular cocoon chairs give you relaxed

seating and the required privacy. Should you

wish to reflect and daydream, then you can

sit on a high stool and look at the verdant

green space outside. In case you want to

explore new ideas, then there is a well-

stocked bookshelf with an eclectic collection

of books and magazines. Also, there are cozy

sofas for you to have a conversation with your

colleagues.

As you engage in reflection, work or

recreational activities, you have healthy and

tasty food available between 7am and 10pm.

The Hubble has a long food counter where one

can watch the food being prepared in the

open kitchen, and also be served quickly.

can design and build a lot of the software that

will make it work, that will make Godrej work,

differently.

It’s a prototype of the shape of things to

come. Welcome to a new way to meet, eat,

work and explore

An atmosphere designed to facilitate 'me time' or 'we time' as well as 'work time'...

“the Hubble redefines expectations from one’s workplace, cafeteria etc. by allowing you to make it your own space.”

GoDreJite on tHe Hubble

“new vibrant place for Godrejites, awesome... a place which will light up the lives of Godrejites... use it for meetings and innovative ideas.”


“A very natural and spontaneous place... one feels like having impromptu discussions here.”



This kind of transparency between the makers

and the consumers of the food creates a degree

of trust. You can have your food anywhere

you like, and have a cup of exotic coffee and a

delicious dessert to top it.

The Hubble does not have the traditional

finished surfaces. It has instead, unfinished

concrete, exposed wiring and visible ducting to

give an industrial look and feel. The natural tone

of materials used and the green inside makes

the space more of an outdoor one, a healthy

break from the normal office environment. The

incompleteness of the space is deliberate to

allow it to evolve over a period of time.

The Hubble, therefore, is a platform to create

ideas and express your thoughts. It is a space

where one can connect to communities that are

unusual. It is a space that is built on the belief

that only when people come together and

collaborate meaningfully, effective solutions,

that are good for many, can be developed

“very beautiful space, very apt and up to the mark. Will use this space to work, explore and eat.”


“Awesome is not the word for it... not seen such a place for a long, long time... delighted to be here... fitting tribute to Gen y and all those Godrejites who are aspiring to be a part of this exciting workplace... de-stressing myself, having a relaxed approach to some of my work. When i need to contemplate, i will come, sit here and relax with a cup of coffee”


Branding The Hubble

Gunjan AryaDesiGn oF inForMAtion

Godrej is a storied organisation with a vibrant culture. Within our centenarian

organisation, our practices, our beliefs and our

values are bound to be formal. This is exactly

why a shift is needed in the attitude towards

a more open workspace and working style.

This shift will have to be a visual, verbal and

visceral one. Simply put, this is The Hubble - a

step in the direction of becoming a modern

network where cross-disciplinary, cross-

company and cross-caliber collaborations

are possible. Design of Information was invited

to collaborate with a cross-functional team

from Godrej, in this space. The aim was to

design the tangible and craft the intangible

aspects of this unique workspace at the

Vikhroli campus. If we look at the food court

as a brand – it is a culmination of experiences

that reside within every single person that

comes in contact with it. It is a story that will

be told, a feeling that will be shared and a

notion that can become a catalyst for other

contact points within the organisation. This

raison d’être shaped our exercise to create

this brand. We hope, over time, it will snowball

into the self-fulfilling prophecy of Hubble’s Law. Edwin Hubble’s law with its implication

that the universe is always expanding,

The incompleteness of the space is deliberate to allow it to evolve over a period of time.

29

became the inspiration for both the name and

the visual identity of the food court. Starting

afresh, this was an opportunity to introduce

the concept of an open food area that is an

all-day, casual experience in a busy workday

space where few other options existed. But to

seed the crumbs that would pave the platform

for cross-departmental dialogue, four pillars

of intent were identified: meet & Eat (ME),

Work & Explore (WE). These pillars were woven

into the physical design of the space and its

experience. From the non-existent signage

in order to promote discovery, to show-and-

tell spaces within the food court; there are a

myriad ways in which brands communicate

with consumers. The onus lies on The

Hubble to keep the channels open and the

communication engaging.

An example of what happens at The

Hubble: tiny invitation flags were placed on

each table to signal a table open for no-

longer-strangers to join, as well as post-its

on the library shelves to encourage sharing

recommendations and facilitate new

conversations.

Beyond a brand name that inherently aims

at seeking new horizons, The Hubble’s visual

identity was created to hint at a mechanically

and technically sound foundation, opening

up to a non-hierarchical structure where

unsuspecting nodes intersect and surprise.

Not only must a brand stand for something

aspirational, but it must also reflect the

A Dash of Garlic

Javed KhanHubble

the aim was to create a new eating experience at the Hubble. the food at the Hubble had to be totally different from what is served at our canteen. It had to be

contemporary, healthy and tasty, in a way that

would appeal to young Godrejites.

The Hubble is expected to host a variety of

events including CHANGE Talks, Expert Talks, Friday Fundas, Corporate Lunches and the like.

Hence, we were asked to customize menus

by including meals that people will remember

and cherish. The menu had to be innovative

and dynamic. To make this come true, we

handpicked our team and began putting

in place the required infrastructure at The

Hubble.

our own Culinary theatreA great man once rightly said, “One cannot

think well, love well, and sleep well, if one has

not dined well.” To this, I would like to add that

one cannot work well if one has not eaten

well. It is said that chefs are the artists of the

highest order as they deal with all five of the

human senses. A plate is the canvas on which

they create pieces of culinary art several times

a day, day after day.


perspectives of its psychological brand

owners and those that will partake in its

journey. For The Hubble, this means to

reflecting on the past and inviting the future.

Not only must a brand stand for

something aspirational, it must also reflect

the perspectives of its psychological brand

owners

left: road paint points the way to hubble.

top: invitation flags to encourage conversations with strangers.

31

Health And HygieneAll the dishes are made by adhering to

high standards as applicable to serving of

good food. The vegetables are cleaned using

the three-sink method of washing and are

sanitized in a potassium permanganate

solution. The water is kept running to ensure

that all the dirt and bacteria that may be there

in the vegetables and fruits is eliminated. The

dishes are prepared in accordance with best

hygiene practices and the rules of HACCP

(Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).

All our sauces and gravies are freshly made

using ingredients of the highest quality. We

preserve our ingredients using temperature

control equipment which is generally set at 2

degrees celsius, the temperature above which

bacteria, that makes the food unfit for human

consumption, thrives.

At The Hubble, there are separate kiosks

for food and beverages; both types of kiosks

have distinctive designs. The food kiosks sell

delicious items like Dum Biryani, traditional

Italian Pastas and home-made Jalebis to

name a few. The kitchen at The Hubble is an

open kitchen, which adds to the visual appeal.

The multi-cuisine menu ranges from Aamchi mumbai ka Ban-maska to La razza Tuscan

Arabiatta oozing with cheese. In an effort to

minimize our carbon footprint, all supplies

have been sourced from local vendors.

We have partnered with vendors who are

committed to high-quality supplies.

We believe that the food at The Hubble

provides truly compelling value for money,

especially if you compare it with the food

served at outlets close to our campus. We

serve the ordered dishes within 12 minutes

or less, which is also below the standard

serve time of 15 minutes experienced at most

places. To eliminate the wastage of food, we

follow the Chase strategy for predicting the

likely off-take. Our inventory of ingredients

is continuously monitored to ensure that the

stocks do not build up excessively, resulting in

overall wastage. Constant feedback is taken

from the people who eat at The Hubble to

enable us to modify the menu as well as the

recipes.

the Coffee shopThe coffee shop at The Hubble is

responsible for world-class brews. The coffee

served here is an Italian coffee made from

the Arabiacco Puro Gusto Coffee beans which

produces a well-rounded and velvety coffee

Bedazzled

Nalini KalaCorPorAte CoMMuniCAtion

on 18th April 2014, as people walked up to the first floor of the Plant 13 Annexe building, they were clueless about what was awaiting them. On entering and exploring

this seemingly-outer space like area called

The Hubble, one of them exclaimed, “Oh man,

this does not look one bit like Godrej... THIS

is the 'change' we were expecting... rocking...

rocking... Now you will have to stop us from

coming here, like have a rule that you cannot

be here 24x7... everything will be in this place-

to-be... friends won’t believe this is Godrej,

maybe US or some other place... amazing”. And

his was not the only jaw that dropped that

evening!

The event was the unveiling and launch

of The Hubble - an informal, vibrant space

designed to refresh, through casual food,

informal interaction with others, a bit of


with a balanced body and a unique, delicate

flavour. Latte art is our forte - be it writing

your name or 3D coffee art, our trained

baristas can conjure up practically anything;

even a cat coming out of your coffee!

The coffee shop has a semi-automatic,

double group Italian coffee machine. Our

baristas take utmost care of hygiene by

regularly cleaning the coffee machines

including the milk steaming pipes. The

machines are sanitized using sanitation

tablets thrice a week – a practice not followed

by most other coffee outlets.

From our range of cold beverages, mocktails

are the most sought after. Kairi Ka Panna with

tapioca and Strawberry Boba are the most

popular drinks. Parrot’s Song, Singapore Sling,

Hidden Blue, Hawaiian and Death by Chocolate

are some of our innovative mocktails. A

specialty menu for drinks is being prepared

to offer shots like Desi Tadka, Pan masala, Gol Gappa and Kacchi Beer (alcohol free). From time

to time, we also name drinks after our guests.

For example, the Double Shot cold coffee has

“To get more done, never eat alone”

33

“Godrej is changing. A generation change.”


“extremely delighted, this is unimaginable... can Godrej do this? We are surprised, i am very, very happy... i will be proud to bring my friends down here... every time i get a visitor, i will bring them to show how we are progressing and leading change”


“Discussion, get together, business development... would like to get our clients here.”


“Fantabulous... get energized, fun loving place... this is what my friends missed, whoever couldn’t make it today.”


“i’m enjoying the 'best days of my life’ with Godrej.”


'me-time' and exposure to new ways of

looking at the world. At the launch party, all

five senses were treated to several delights.

Our chefs prepared a delectable menu that

was savoured with equal enthusiasm by all

Godrejites. This was accompanied by a rocking

performance by the band, The other People,

which spurred many members of the audience

to shake a leg. The birthdays of fifteen

Godrejites, who also shared their birthdays

with The Hubble, were also celebrated. If this

experience was the preview of the future,

people wanted to fervently queue up at the

palmist and tarot card reader’s desk to know

it all. Meanwhile, if one felt like reliving old

memories, a Godrej Typewriter was ready to

be ‘click-clacked’ and even connected to a

computer for an electronic output! Overall,

it was one of the most memorable days for

Godrejites, who are now looking forward to

the future

been rechristened Anubhav Frappe after The

Hubble-regular Anubhav Gupta. The coffee

shop also serves delicious eggless pastries

and cakes.

At The Hubble, the crockery and cutlery

used are of the highest standards. These

have been carefully sourced to enhance the

overall culinary experience. To us, continuous

innovation and improvement are paramount.

To help us tread on this path we need

continual feedback for, both, the items of food

and the drinks served. Feedback regarding the

level of service is also welcomed


in a world where it’s easy to lose one’s self in the maze of socially accepted behaviours, the trappings of ‘likes’ and ‘+1’s and the intrinsic need to be ‘cool’, we triggered introspection. What do YOU want? If you

slightly scraped the side of a Mercedes while

parking in the middle of the night, would

you own up and apologize? As a Municipal

Commissioner, what initiatives would you take

up to make Mumbai a better city to live in? 56

percent pledged to open more public parks

and cleanup the water-front. Amusingly, 33

percent believed that making 3-day weekends

mandatory would make Mumbai one of ‘the

most liveable cities’.

Godrej Archives conducted an opinion poll,

during the recent 16th Lok Sabha elections.

It comprised of 13 questions that urged

participants to delve inwards and get to know

themselves better. The timing was just right:

every Indian, argumentative or otherwise,

was expressing well-articulated opinions

and declaring allegiances. We had the

perfect space: The Hubble, an aesthetically

designed multi-purpose platform created to

prompt free-flowing conversations. Finally,

we had an appropriate prop: the Ballot Box.

Manufactured by Godrej & Boyce for India’s

first ever general elections, held in 1952. This

indigenously developed ‘symbol of

democracy’ became the archivist’s tool to

spark a dialogue.

Nina Simon, the author of the book, The

Participatory Museum, calls artefacts, articles

such as the Ballot Box, which go beyond their

obvious artistic or historical significance and

become ‘social objects’. “Social objects are the

engines of socially networked experiences,”

she says, “the content around which the

conversations happen. They allow people to

focus their attention on a ‘third thing’ rather

than on each other, making interpersonal

engagement comfortable. People connect

with strangers when they have a shared

interest in specific objects. We connect with

people through our interests and shared

experiences of the objects around us.”

Examine Express EndorseUsing historical artefacts to provoke conversations that matter.

Sanghamitra SenGoDreJ ArCHives

Would you rather be a member of a world champion sports team or be the champion of an individual sport? We asked.

if you could go back in time and choose your parents, you would…? We provoked.

Creativity can be taught. We stated. You agreed.

35

For ‘social object experiences’ to work

repeatedly, day after day, for diverse groups

of people, design tweaks can make an

object more personal, active, provocative,

or relational. The 13 questions we asked, did

exactly that. Our thought behind the activity

was to encourage people to examine, express

and endorse, while appreciating an object

from the remarkable past of Godrej.

This was not a first for us. Over the years,

Godrej Archives has ensured that displays

and exhibitions are interactive in nature as

opposed to being static. The Feedback Tree

installation at the exhibition celebrating

the Birth Centenary of our former Chairman

Sohrab Godrej is an example of exactly

that. This Tree drew its inspiration from his

nickname ‘Man of Trees’ OR ‘Become an

Archivist’. This initiative allows employees

to view archival photographs and add to the

database of information by tagging subjects,

describing events, seeing objects seeped

in history in a completely relevant, topical

and personal context. It lends magic to the

experience.

Apart from the Ballot Box installation, which

was conceptualized as a launch event for The

Hubble, an ongoing feature, in the space, is

the typewriter corner. Since, The Hubble was

visualized to be a space where employees

could Work and Explore; a fully functional

Godrej Prima Typewriter has been installed.

It allows users to explore an iconic product

from Godrej’s past. The typewriter corner is

now more of a ‘Writer’s Den’ of sorts, where

users, in moments of solitude, can tap away

their thoughts while discovering the thrills

and challenges of a mode of writing that is no

longer commonly used.

To make the experience more

contemporary, our engineers have linked

the Prima typewriter, a manual machine,

to a computer. So, as you type away on

specially designed letterheads and inland

letters, a word document gets created on the

computer, which can then be e-mailed. To

complete the experience of a Writer’s Den, a

Post box has been added to the set which can

be used to send letters to anyone in Godrej.

Once again, the focus was on creating an

environment that allowed visitors to interact

with the exhibits in a direct, ‘hands-on’

manner. Visitors are surprised by the fact

that the traditional ‘rules’ of behaviour in

a museum do not apply here and that it is

possible for them to touch and tinker with the

artefacts from the past.

Manufactured by Godrej & Boyce for

India’s first general elections, held in 1952,

this indigenously developed ‘symbol of

democracy’ became the archivist’s tool to

spark a dialogue.

Artefacts which go beyond their obvious artistic or historical significance, become ‘social objects’- the content around which the conversations happen.

Above: ‘Space Bar’ - a writers’ den with a re-wired Godrej

Prima typewriter.

left: introspection and curiosity at Polling Centre No.13a


What started out as a simple food court idea took on the shape of something much bigger, thanks

to Design Thinking and the power of

collaboration between several teams

including Innovation & Design Centre,

Interio, Personnel & Administration,

Construction and Electricals &

Electronics. The space was aptly named

‘The Hubble’ to allude to Dr. Edwin

Hubble’s theory that the Universe is

continually expanding; as must our

own beliefs about what we can achieve,

together.

The Hubble’s launch was incredible

with almost the entire company,

including the leadership team, present

at the inauguration. A rock band playing,

(yes you read that right!) during office

hours on the campus of a manufacturing

company, clearly signalled that change

is happening at Godrej and it is here

to stay. Over the year, The Hubble has

continued to surprise, delight and

engage our people with unusual events,

different cuisines, celebrations around

festivals and much, much more.

So, how has Hubble impacted us?

One – It is clearly not just an ‘adda’ - a

place where employees love to come

down to eat, meet, share and exchange

views - but a happening place that has

positioned Godrej as a company that

people are proud to be associated with.

It’s a place that gives them bragging

rights and provides one more compelling

reason to look forward to coming to

work, every day!

Two - After The Hubble happened to

GODREj AfTER

THE HUBBLE...one year on

37

Godrej, one sees a lot more informality.

People across hierarchies and functions

come together to enjoy a cup of coffee,

a snack, and even a meal. Connections

are far more informal, open and

frequent. The sense that it is OK to not

be in your designated place of work and

still continue to be productive is also

slowly gaining acceptance.

Three - Employees and their families,

especially those that reside in our

residential colonies, now have access

to a much richer cultural scene – film

screenings, musical performances, rock

shows, comedy acts and so on. These

events, which were unimaginable in the

Godrej experience, are now a reality.

Interestingly, I also see many non-

Godrej employees using The Hubble

as a place to work and this is good

for us. Hopefully, it is leading to new

connections that can be leveraged in

our personal and professional lives…

the more the better in a networked

economy!

Finally, The Hubble has added a new

wave of energy at Godrej – ripples that I

hope to see spread across all our offices

and establishments all over the country

and abroad.

Welcome to year two at The Hubble.

Anil G VermaexeCutive DireCtor & PresiDent


thursday, April 24, 2014: the morning begins with the Godrej Pillars emanating a soft white light, on display, at Plant 13’s lobby on the 4th floor. As the sun makes

its way into the space, the Godrej directors

begin their procession in anticipation of the

day’s meetings. Ascending the stairs from the

floor below, a glimmer of the faceted white

ceiling comes into their view. The Pillars,

glowing with their bright white light, welcome

those passing through the installation, in

recognition of their proximity. A soft glow

illuminates the text printed on the smooth

fabric structure. Out of curiosity, a Pillar is

touched and it responds - it fills up with a

brilliant magenta glow from bottom to top,

and the beam of colour travels across the

ceiling and makes a connection with another

Pillar. This is the Pillars Exhibition. It is for every

Godrej employee, regardless of their position

in the organisation, the opportunity to grow

and connect through the Pillars.

This exhibit reinforces Navroze Godrej’s

presentation to the Board of Directors

in regard to the Purpose Pillars Strategy.

Together with IA Collaborative, Godrej

envisioned Pillars as an innovative business

strategy for the future of the organisation. The

purpose of the Pillars, as Navroze expressed,

is to align the businesses around one trusted

brand. This strategy will infuse work with

purpose, giving a new view of the kind of user

needs that Godrej satisfies every day. It will

cut costs and widen margins through process,

efficiency and higher quality offerings. It will

inspire new opportunities across business

lines. As a business strategy, the Pillars will

illuminate opportunities for deliberate,

purposeful synergy between business units.

This is also the overall design intent of the

Pillars exhibition.

The exhibition gives Godrejites an

opportunity to discover the Pillars for

themselves through physical exploration. The

design exemplifies individual Pillars merging

into a single form above, amplifying the

unity that represents Godrej. The underlying

inspiration came from the banyan tree, With

its many branches growing together to form a

single whole.

The design underwent several material

considerations including frosted and coloured

acrylic panels, a carbon fiber structure, even

thousands of individual strands of string. As

the design concept evolved, IA Collaborative

tested materials by using 3D printing. In

the end they decided that the best way to

communicate the concept would be a faceted

metal frame wrapped in a smooth, soft printed

white fabric. These materials encourage

Godrej Purpose Pillarsilluminating opportunities for deliberate and purposeful synergy between business units.

Hemmant JhaGoDreJ & boyCe

Stacy mortoniA CollAborAtive

The banyan tree with its many branches growing together to form a single whole.

Above: The Purpose Pillars installation

at Plant 13 annexe. The six multi-faceted structures

represent each of the six Pillars.

39

interaction and prompt discovery through

touch. As one walks by, the structure lights up

and illuminates printed content associated to

each Pillar. The inherent nature of the fabric

encourages physical interaction. The Pillar fills

with colour from floor to ceiling and synergies

are depicted as light moves across the ceiling

and down onto a connecting Pillar.

One of the most challenging aspects of

the project was to transport thousands of

parts and material from Chicago to India for

installation. IA needed to design the Pillars

such that the structures were light in weight,

could be easily disassembled in Chicago, and

quickly reassembled in India for the final

installation. The team was able to design

each Pillar using a system of straight thin

wall aluminium tubes and unique welded

joints which, when disassembled, were

compact enough to be boxed and shipped

easily. Thousands of segments of wire were

individually stripped, crimped, and connected

to strands of LEDs ensuring quick installation

upon arriving in India. All 22,500 LEDs were

assembled, coded, and tested in Chicago,

at IA Collaborative. All in all, the fabricated

materials were shipped from Chicago and

arrived in India perfectly in sync with the IA

design team.

Ultimately, this installation was the result

of the collaboration between IA Collaborative

and Godrej teams. From strategic alignment

to fabrication, to the final installation, both

teams worked in unison to present an exhibit

for Godrej that was both beautiful and

enlightening. This collaboration demonstrates

how the world is more connected and more

collaborative than ever, an important aspect

of the Pillars ideology that Godrej hopes to

further leverage.

Adopting Pillars into the culture at

Godrej will allow people to look at their

work differently. Godrej will continue to

manufacture our world, while simultaneously

providing cutting-edge thinking and

innovation. The company has already seen

considerable innovation success that comes

from synergy between business units. By

expanding the capability to connect in

measured and meaningful ways, Godrej can

support new efficiencies, learning, purpose,

and enable a unified identity. It is with these

newfound synergies and a shared purpose

that Godrej will lead its customers into the

future.

HOW IT WORKS

each pillar is embedded with its own computer system controlling individual strands of leD lights that get activated with both, proximity and touch sensors. the installation consists of over 22,500 leDs, 3,000 meters of wire, and 45 sensors invisible within the fabric wrapped structure. the semi-opaque attributes of the fabric filters colour and illuminates the faceted frame from within.

t H e s i x P i l l A r s

SecurityProviding secure protection of

goods and information

EnergyMaking power accessible

Lifestyleenabling people to confidently

express themselves

Wellnesscreating conditions that

organically promote well-being

Connectivityconnecting people to foster success

ProductivityIncreasing people’s ability to

achieve their goals

"The purpose of Pillars is to align the businesses around one trusted brand."


What are the Purpose Pillars all about? What do they stand for and mean?

Purpose Pillars gives us a way to think

about the future. It is a framework for the

Godrej businesses to address the changing

world around us. It enables us to be more

user-centred and customer-centred in our

approach by addressing user and customer

aspirations. People aspire to be safe, healthy,

happy, successful and productive. It is our

responsibility to figure out what each of these

mean. In doing so, we will design and deliver

better products, services and infrastructure.

Our six Purpose Pillars – Security, Well-being,

Lifestyle, Energy, Productivity and Connectivity

– represent our users’ and customers’

aspirations for themselves, their families, their

workplaces and their communities.

Purpose Pillars

Answers Sought

On the occasion of the BOD Annual Meet, an

exhibition was put up on the theme of Godrej

Purpose Pillars. At the exhibition, Suruchi

Trivedi took the opportunity to interview

Navroze Godrej and capture his vision and

the reasons why he believes the Purpose

Pillars have the power to redefine the way we

Godrejites think, work and innovate. He spoke

extensively on the topic. Here are the excerpts

of the interview for our readers.

People aspire to be safe, healthy, happy, successful and productive. It is our responsibility to figure out what each of these mean. In doing so, we will design and deliver better products, services and infrastructure.


41

How did we think about pillars? Why these 6 specifically?

We started by looking at everything we do

today and asked what the user needs and

the aspirations we serve. We studied how

the world around us is changing through

technology and explored how our businesses

could be impacted by these changes. For

example, mobile technology and connectivity

has transformed the way information is

consumed and given individuals more power

than ever before to access and control

information about the world around them, the

products they seek to purchase, and the social

connections they want to forge. We studied

how rapid urbanization is putting a strain on

infrastructure and how innovative companies

across the world are developing new

business models to address issues like urban

transportation, renewable power generation

and distribution, access to medical care, and

distributed collaborative work.

These six Pillars represent a meaningful way

to serve our customers today and in the future

by looking at both, our current businesses as

well as how we shape our future vision.

In many ways, we are already thinking

along these lines, but in the rapidly changed

world, it is essential to focus on research. We

What’s the big picture associated with these pillars? Where are they taking the organisation?

Once we start thinking more holistically about

the needs and aspirations of users, we will

design and build better to energize future

businesses that promote a healthy lifestyle.

For example, based on our understanding of

how a family takes care of their health and

well-being, we will design home appliances.

Or by understanding how companies aspire to

keep their workforce happy and productive,

we will design better office furniture. So

firstly, we will focus our research and design

initiatives on these six Pillars. We will seek

to understand each Pillar as completely as

we can, in order to build better appliances,

security products, building infrastructure,

material handling and logistics, etc.

We want every individual in the

organisation to think, keeping the user's

aspirations in mind. Whatever it is that you do,

think about how you serve your customers’

needs and aspirations. Ask questions about

your user, your market, and believe that you

can make a difference by doing so. Our hope is

to have an organisation full of individuals who

care greatly about their impact on the world,

take full advantage of the opportunities in

front of them and find ways to continuously

challenge themselves to expand their

understanding of the world around them.

Godrej will provide the platform for every

individual in the organisation to participate in

an open dialogue about how we understand

the world of our users, what areas we seek to

impact, and how we can explore opportunities

for deliberate, purposeful synergy between

business units. We aim to build on the

increasing interconnectedness of industries,

markets and people.

should think beyond traditional boundaries

of industries, and instead, study how these

boundaries are getting blurred due to new

technology and changing behaviour.

How are these pillars manifested in terms of consumer insights?

People don’t think of themselves as belonging

to a particular industry or market. They don’t

define themselves as refrigerator buyers or

warehouse operators or equipment operators.

They think of themselves as trying to lead

a healthier life or to impress someone at

a social gathering or to achieve success at

the workplace. However, most companies

don’t think in this manner. Companies think

of themselves as belonging to a particular

industry or market. If we are to truly serve

their aspirations, we need to see ourselves

as our customers see themselves. By seeing

ourselves the way our customers see

themselves, (by following this perspective)

we are more likely to develop products

and services that our customers truly

love – refrigerators that help you manage

your health, furniture that makes you more

productive at work, equipment that reduces

stress levels and delights operators, or

security products that totally eliminate

anxiety from the equation.

Whatever it is that you do, think about how you serve your customers’ needs and aspirations. Ask questions about your user, your market and believe that you can make a difference by doing so.

ConnectivityConnecting people

to faster success

WellnessEstabishing conditions

that proactively promote well-being

lifestyleEnabling people to

confidently express themselves

energyMaking Power

accessible

securityProviding secure

protection of goods & information

ProductivityIncreasing People's

ability to achieve their goals

ManuFaCTurInG & ThouGhT LEadErshIP

The Godrej Pillars expose opportunities for deliberate, purposeful synergy between business units.


How could businesses take the Purpose Pillars forward?

Challenge everyone in your team to the

question, “How can we add significantly

greater value to people’s lives?” The Pillars

are about elevating our offerings so that

they are in sync with people’s and society’s

long term vision of being healthy, safe,

happy, successful, efficient, sustainable and

productive. Our offerings need to focus on

these fundamental needs and desires.

We need to leverage the Pillars research

to transform existing offers and redefine

processes. The most successful organisations

have grown out of the fundamental

understanding of basic human needs and

desires. As we grow, it is critical to immerse

ourselves into the context of people’s daily

lives, so that we remain focused on what is

important to them. We need to constantly

carry out real world experiments and

prototype new products, business models and

processes.

We need to collaborate with other

businesses and leverage synergies between

businesses. There is so much that we would

be able to do if we identified and leveraged

synergies that existed between our business

units.

Do small experiments: as our knowledge

about our customers grows, so must our

ability to prototype new ideas. We need to

get better at doing small experiments that

test out new ideas before investing large

amounts of time and effort. We need a culture

of prototyping to permeate everything we

do. We must continuously evaluate if there’s

a better way to do something and always

question how our businesses could be

disrupted.

What is the roll-out plan? How are the pillars going to cascade down the line through the business?

The Pillars will be brought to life through

various types of training programs, publication

of our research, the creation of new positions

like Pillar Leaders and Pillar Champions,

online and offline communication, and built

environments. We believe these will translate

into new businesses. We plan to create many

different opportunities for everyone at Godrej

to engage with our Pillars. Over the next few

months, we will be sharing information about

each of the Pillars so that all Godrejites can

contribute to our future. We have started

programs like Sprint and Horizon, which are

creating opportunities for individuals to work

on concepts they are passionate about and

add value back to the organisation.

We need to adopt user and customer-

centric processes like design thinking in

everything we do. Innovation is about

taking a problem and seeing how you can

create significant additional value for your

stakeholders by doing something new. It is

beyond just new product development.

There are already projects underway in

several businesses and the Innovation &

Design Centre, which are exploring how

We need to strategically focus our efforts on the things that add maximum value to people’s lives. We need to question why we do what we do and if that is adding significant value.

Within a PillarCreating synergy between businesses in the same pillar.

ExaMPLEWashing machine and laundry detergent teams working together on a new laundry experience.

Across PillarConnecting between pillars to inspire new offerings.ExaMPLEFurniture, Construction and Electrical working together on building contracts and interior fitouts.

There are three distinct opportunities to help us connect in purposeful ways

1

2

new PillarsBranching into new fields.ExaMPLECreating an Education Pillar with new offerings.

3

43

current lines of business can use the Purpose

Pillars framework. The Sprint and Horizon

programs have created new business

opportunities for us while, at the same time,

provided a platform for people to explore

the Pillars and work on projects they are

passionate about.

What role can business and corporate leaders play?

We need to strategically focus our efforts

on the things that add maximum value to

people’s lives. We need to question why

we do what we do and if that is adding

significant value to. Leaders need to realize

that the world is changing faster than we had

imagined and that unless we think as far into

the future as possible, we will keep working

on near term solutions. Unless we look at

how industries are changing, we will miss

prevailing disruptions than can come from

anywhere. India is faced with many complex

challenges and the solutions which have

worked elsewhere, may or may not work in

the Indian context. Indians are going to have

to devise new solutions to problems at an

even faster pace. The question is, will we be

the ones presenting the solutions or will it be

someone else. We need to encourage more

multi-disciplinary projects and empower

teams. Multi-disciplinary teams achieve

surprisingly good results. If more projects are

able to leverage the diversity of capabilities

we have inside the company then, I believe,

we will see more powerful solutions coming

from Godrej. Teams must be empowered to

think creatively, take decisions quickly and

express themselves openly.

It is critical to immerse ourselves into the context of people’s daily lives so that we remain focused on what is important to them. We need to constantly carry out real world experiments and prototyping of new products, business models and processes.

Pillar leaders A designated leader for each pillar could travel between businesses and identify opportunities for senergy. As a team, leaders have a view of the entire company and can identify potential synergies across pillars.

An elastic structure will spark synergies organically by increasing communication throughout the company

ProduCTIVITy LEadEr

ConnECTIVITy LEadEr

WELLnEss LEadEr

LIFEsTyLE LEadEr

EnErGy LEadEr

sECurITy LEadEr

security Pillar Group

Locking systems

security Leader

Banking Facilities

air Frames

alarm systems

defense assembly

home safes

Meetings between businesses within each Pillar can serve as a forum for ideation and cross-pollination.

Within this structure, every employee will have the opportunity to think big & continuously progress toward mastery of the Pillars Awareness

All employees become aware of the Pillars and understand how they affect their business.

usageAll employees become proficient at using the Pillars in their everyday work. They create new ideas and maintain them through production.

MasteryManagement and Pillar Leaders become extremely adept at using the Pillars and can develop new ways to use them. They also lead and support others in their use of the pillars.

1

2

3


Godrej will use five methods to build a culture that supports this progression toward mastery of the Pillars

PositionsHierarchy and career progression gives ownership to Pillars implementation

CommunicationWritten and verbal representation affirms the Pillars for employees on a broad scale.

eventsEvents bring people together.

ProcessesDay-to-day systems show employees how to incorporate the Pillars into daily routines.

environmentsEngaging spaces bring ideas to life.

45

What is expected from people in different roles? How do they contribute?

We want the Pillars to be something people

can use on a daily basis, whatever their

role or function. We don’t want it to be

something people think about in addition

to their jobs, but as a way to approach their

jobs – for someone selling appliances, it is

important to understand the health benefits

of a refrigerator; for someone designing

industrial automation systems, it is essential

to understand how their solution enhances

productivity on the shop-floor; for someone

designing a home security system, it is

essential to understand emotional security

and the anxiety felt by families to protect the

people they love; for someone responsible for

quality control, it is essential to understand

how a small defect in a piece of furniture could

destroy a family moment. You can contribute

regardless of your function.

Could we have a Pillar Council for each of these pillars? they could work further on unearthing the needs, meet the consumers, work on concepts etc. this should typically be a cross-functional team since this is not just a marketing initiative but also across the organisation.

Our goal is to create thought and action

leaders inside the company in each of the

six areas. We have already set up research

projects in each of the six Purpose Pillars.

These projects are exploring people’s

perceptions about these six areas, in order

to design better offers. The next step will

be to set up Pillar Groups, which can steer

projects and mentor project teams. We

plan to build resources for anyone to access

information about the six Pillars and to reach

out to experts in the organisation. This is a

collaborative journey and the greater the

number of people involved, the more likely the

organisation will be to succeed in the long run.

We don’t want the Pillars to be something people think about in addition to their jobs, but as a way to approach their jobs itself.

As we master the Pillars and discover new senergies between our businesses, it is important to take on a balanced perspective to ensure success. Pillars will spark synergy

Creating synergies between businesses at Godrej will support more efficient systems, knowledge sharing and ultimately better offerings for our customers.

Choose synergies DeliberatelyWhether identifying synergies within or across pillars, discuss the potential value that a specific collaboration would have for customers before carrying it out.

Pillars will require collaborationSynergies come to life through the collaboration between teams with different perspectives and working styles

building a network of Collaboration Build off of past successful synergies to leverage good working relationships.

Pillars will unify Godrej identityA unified identity across Godrej businesses will ensure that our customers have a more holistic experience across brands.

retain unique identities Ensure that every offering and brand has a unique role and identity within the larger whole.


every year, at G&b, the board of Directors (boD) is taken through the performance of businesses in the year gone by, and their business plans for the coming year. In addition to the formal presentations that

every business makes, a common theme is

chosen to enable our businesses to showcase,

in an exhibition format, their strengths and

capabilities.

The theme for this year’s exhibition was

based on changing user and customer

needs and aspirations. Navroze Godrej firmly

believes that these needs, in the context of

new and fast emerging technologies, create

an imperative that is driving organisations to

think differently. The traditional boundaries

between the businesses are disappearing

fast and the need of the hour is to adopt

a holistic and deeper approach that will

enable organisations to keep aspirations

of customers and users at its core, for

developing new products and solutions.

“People don’t think of themselves as

belonging to a particular industry. They don’t

define themselves as refrigerator buyers

or warehouse operators. They think of

themselves as trying to lead a healthier life or

achieving success at the workplace. However,

companies think of themselves as belonging

to a particular industry or market. If we are to

truly serve their aspirations, we need to see

ourselves as our customers see themselves.

Then we will be more likely to develop

products and services that our customers will

truly love.”

It is this insight that forms the foundation

on which the Godrej Purpose Pillars stand. The

Purpose Pillars are the framework for the

Godrej businesses to address the changing

world. The Purpose Pillars is a unique concept

that aims to put people in the driver’s seat.

These six Pillars represent a meaningful way

by which we can serve our customers today.

The six Purpose Pillars are Security,

Productivity, Energy, Lifestyle, Well-Being and

Connectivity. These pillars identify purposeful

ways in which we can connect, collaborate

and grow - infusing our work with new

meaning and giving us a new understanding

of the users we serve every day. The Pillars

are about elevating our offerings so that

they are in sync with the long term vision of

people and society; of being healthy, safe,

happy, successful, efficient, sustainable and

productive.

The over-arching theme of the BOD event is

beginning to manifest into a movement that

is all set to shape our vision of tomorrow and

revolutionise the way Godrejites think, plan

and execute.

Exploring the Changing World through Purpose Pillars


47

But before we move ahead, let us take a

closer look at the event.

At first glance, a visitor to the BOD

exhibition sees only six Pillars. But once they

delve into this space, they discover the vast

powerhouse of information which inspires

all Godrejites to re-imagine their role in the

company.

Each pillar is designed to provoke visitors

to join the dots and yet think out-of-the-

box. The intriguing use of what we like to

call ‘provotypes’ (i.e. provocative prototypes)

inspires us to seek uncommon connections,

with user insights acting as thought starters

that could spark collaborations. Each concept

is brought alive by short video films and the

Purpose Pillars journey is taken through the

mind map of a user, exploring what they

want and what is feasible from a business

perspective.

Thought provoking and an inspiring wealth

of information is brought alive by each

and every Purpose Pillars, which inspires

Godrejites to think beyond the obvious. These

Pillars were put together with the help of

teams from the Horizon program. The Horizon

program was a mammoth six month long

exercise that saw six cross-functional teams

from various businesses coming together to

work on innovation based projects directly

under the guidance of Navroze Godrej. All

projects undertaken revolved around the

Purpose Pillars.

As mentioned earlier, customer needs

and aspirations were kept at the core of the

projects and users’ views were solicited which

were bolstered with the industry insights and

expert inputs. Key points and possibilities of

new innovation related to each Pillar were

“The exhibit was an eye-opener. The fact that we are being urged to think beyond our immediate job profiles and share ideas and innovations across the Pillars is very exciting. It opens up a whole new way of thinking.”

niKitA, GoDreJ ConstruCtion


49

culled from the vast amount of research

and immersion. These were then carefully

captured and articulated for putting together

an exhibition.

The BOD exhibition was brought to

Godrejites by an extensive roll-out campaign.

The intent was to create awareness and to

invite our people to dive deep and discover

more about our Purpose Pillars. The first leg

of the campaign saw the dispatch of teaser

e-mails that generated curiosity. From the

refreshing thread installation at The Hubble to

travelling post-it notes, Godrejites were urged

to share their ideas on concepts that straddled

different pillars. The thread installation was

especially thought-provoking as users could

physically depict the synergy that can exist

between diverse businesses. A fun element

was included with fortune cookies placed at

manufacturing locations and other common

spaces such as The Hubble, the canteen and

other similar places. On opening the cookies

a Purpose Pillar thought and an invitation

to visit the BOD exhibit was revealed. At

the exhibition, intriguing wire puzzles were

handed out which provoked visitors to think

differently.

A series of e-mailers and outdoor media

announcements across the campus, urged our

people to visit the exhibition. Every visitor was

given a handbook urging Godrejites to view

their work through the lens of the Purpose

Pillars. The handbook captures the essence

of the six Pillars, which are amplified with

engaging visuals. It’s a handy guide available

to each Godrejite to know more about the

Purpose Pillars and how to transfer their

principles into the workplace.

In addition, the concept of the Purpose

Pillars was brought alive in a motivational film

to inspire Godrejites. It captured vignettes

from across Godrej to applaud the stellar

Godrej spirit and provoke all of us to look

beyond the obvious and see the extra

ordinary. It undoubtedly invokes a sense

of pride and brings to the fore, the higher

purpose that Godrejites should strive for.

We were grateful to receive a warm

appreciation from the Board of Directors

stating that ‘the thinking at Godrej has been

elevated to a new level and Godrejites need to

sustain the momentum’.

The accolades and praise continued to pour

in once the exhibition was opened for all for a

period of two months. The exhibition will make

its presence felt through a comprehensive and

dynamic intranet website purposepillars.godrej.com.

The ‘Share an Idea Wall’ section of the

website is a limitless slate that gives everyone

a platform to contribute by proposing a new

way to do something or a new opportunity for

business that requires exploration.

I firmly believe that the Purpose Pillars

driven approach will elevate each of us

within the organisation to a higher purpose

of being, giving us the opportunity to

rethink, re-imagine, reinvent, and innovate.

The onus now lies on us to make the most

of this revolutionary and exciting journey

that has just begun, a journey which is

bound to provide immense opportunities

to our businesses and our people to make

a difference in the organisation and move

beyond the boundaries!

Do visit www.purposepillars.godrej.com and share your idea – it might just be our next big disruption!

"The thinking at Godrej has been elevated to a new level and Godrejites need to sustain the momentum"boArD oF DireCtors


looking at a bonsai is an experience; the sight of a beautifully formed bonsai captures the vision and brings about peace and harmony. Bonsai is steeped

in centuries old Japanese and Chinese tradition. Over

the years, nurturing and appreciating miniature trees

growing in ceramic pots has become very popular the

world over. India is not lagging behind – here we have

thousands of bonsai lovers spread across the country.

They are guided and supported by the Bonsai Study

Group of the Indo-Japanese Association of Mumbai

with nearly twenty two affiliated chapters in India and

Oman.

In China, Japan and some other countries, little trees

with artistic shapes have become national treasures.

Zen with BonsaiA hobby that’s more than just art, it’s cathartic

Bonsai Styles Styles can be grouped based on different criteria, such as the trunk orientation or the number of trunks in the bonsai specimen

Nikunj & Jyoti ParekhtHe inDo-JAPAnese AssoCiAtion

formal UprightThe miniature tree could be a replica of trees growing in nature - upright, with the right kind of environment wherein the roots, trunk, branches and foliage are growing well.

Informal UprightInformal upright style is where the trunk bends at an angle but the apex of tree remains in one line.

SlantingIn this style the trunk emerges from the soil at an angle, and the apex of the bonsai is located to the left or right of the root base. Branches generally grow parallel to the ground, rather than growing at right angles to the slanted trunk.

CascadeModelled after the trees that fall precariously on a cliff or mountainside and yet want to survive against the vagaries of nature.

51

Bonsai BasicsPlanning your bonsai

Before beginning to make a miniature

tree, it is best to look at the tree from its

front, back and sides.

Observe its roots and the way it is growing

in a nursery-grown bag or ordinary pot. The

“Rule of Thirds” is applicable to Bonsai plants

evaluate the total space of your tree and the

ceramic container and divide it into thirds,

both horizontally and vertically. By this

method, you obtain proper division of space

and get an idea of how much one should

prune unwanted, distracting branches.

A three-dimensional design will allow

sunlight to reach all parts of the tree. Space

and design will nurture the bonsai with

tender love and care, and it will live a long,

healthy life.

PruningPruning controls the bonsai’s growth and

it retains its form by removal of unwanted

branches and foliage. For this, all you need

is a sharp pruning shear, a wire cutter and

wires. Upon reaching a fairly good level of

proficiency, one can acquire better tools.

Try flushing the stubs, which can be a place

for insects to hide. Remember to remove

crisscrossing branches and dead branches.

Allow the tree to thrive in enough sunlight

and timely watering. Apply a cut paste with

fungicide on wounds.

You do not need to prune your bonsai all

the time. Once it is pruned to a basic shape,

try to maintain the shape. Pruning is needed

when the bonsai has remained unattended

for a long period of time. Pinching regularly,

takes care of the foliage, which then gets

denser. If the foliage is too thin or twiggy,

nipping or pinching helps the tree to have

new shoots with compact growth.

WiringOnce the tree is pruned and nipped,

the process of wiring follows. Wiring with

anodized aluminium or copper wires is done

to bend the trunk or branches to a desired

shape. This acts only as a temporary brace,

and in one or two seasons we can achieve

the desired design. One must be careful not

to let wires bite into the trunk or branches,

as they will leave ugly marks on the tree. Do

not wire too tight or even too loose as you

are creating a piece of art for the future.

The wiring should be done at an angle of 45

degrees for proper anchorage and strength.

Potting & CareFor many years, we have grown indoor

plants in pots with the aim of keeping them

healthy and to get flowers and fruits.

Bonsai are also potted plants, but with the

aim of keeping the tree healthy and with an

aesthetic design and shape. The miniature

tree should be a replica of trees growing

in nature such as formal upright style with

the absolutely right kind of environment

wherein the roots, trunk, branches and

foliage are growing well.

All horticultural requirements and

treatments like watering, fertilizing, cutting

of extra roots and repotting, are similar to

ordinary potted plants except that with

Bonsai plants, special thought is given to

design.

These well-known styles provide a convenient shorthand means for communicating about existing bonsai and for designing new ones.

Semi CascadeThe apex of the tree extends just at the level of, or beneath, the lip of the bonsai pot. It does not fall below the bottom of the pot.

Broom forest GroveThis is a group planting that resembles a forest or grove.

Clump


i joined Godrej last october as Chief Design officer, and in the past year, i have had the opportunity to experience Godrej like few others have. I have visited every Godrej

manufacturing facility, spent time with the

leaders and the teams at every business,

their dealers and distributors, their design

and development partners, members of the

board and the Godrej family. And I can say,

unequivocally, that Godrej is a remarkable

company, from both an insider's and

outsider's perspective. It will only get better,

and here’s how I see us getting there.

At Godrej, our aim is to create a modern,

global enterprise that is right for our time, for

our customers, for India and for the world.

We aim to improve the quality of every life

we touch, and create joyful and seamless

experiences across the range of Godrej

products and services.

Today, we are known as a trusted partner,

a trusted company and a trusted provider.

Tomorrow, we will build on this trust and

explore what’s possible. We will show what

can be accomplished with the best thinking,

engineering, design solutions, made of the

best materials and using the best processes.

This is our vision, and it will require us to get

ambitious and creative. Godrej Innovation & Design Centre will bring this vision to life across

the entire range of our products and services.

Simply put, design is about finding creative

and meaningful solutions to complex

problems. The Design Center is currently

working on short term, long term, research

and experimental projects, in consumer

and business products and services. We're

building strategic relationships across the

world - developing partnerships with other

companies, independent experts, educational

institutions, design and technical agencies.

We're putting together a comprehensive

Godrej Design Policy, which is meant to give our

vision a voice. It embodies what’s next for us

and what the world can expect from us. This is

the big idea. The design ethos we will follow in

everything that we do, and will be applied to

everything that we send out into the world.

As a focused and tactical companion for

our Design Policy, we’re creating the Godrej

Design Guide, a ‘how-to’ for design. This living

document will evolve over time - use it for

inspiration, information, and as a design

checklist. It is for everyone and for everything

- for a product, a presentation, a business card

or a business strategy. You will all have a copy

very soon.

With these initiatives, our aim is not simply

to compete with foreign companies who have

entered the Indian market, but to create the

best products in the world; to create products

and services that will be the benchmark for

other companies to measure up to. Our only

measure of excellence is excellence itself.

The best products need the best people. At

the Innovation and Design Centre, Navroze

and I empower people to do their best work,

and support and reward people with ambition

and an affinity for excellence. We believe

there is also great value in collaborating with

experts outside Godrej, in all fields. Above all,

we want to work with the best, learn from the

best and be the best.

Being the best is not easy. And this requires

Hemmant jha chief Design Officer, godrej & Boyce, shares his thoughts on design, ambition and godrej.

Our only measure of excellence is excellence itself.

53

a certain way of thinking. Below are elements

that I believe are essential for what we aim to

achieve.

rigour. We’ve all heard Jamshyd say that a rigorous

process is absolutely essential for excellence.

Because one doesn’t just stumble upon

success - for the quality of a presentation

or the soundness of a business plan, for the

precise click of a lock or the perfect finish of

a component, for any intelligent design and

engineering solution, rigour is a must.

beauty. To hear Phiroze speak of beauty is, in

itself, a thing of beauty. He communicates

his thoughts on beauty with words, with

his hands and with his eyes - his affinity for

beauty is palpable. Its importance in our

everyday lives is immense. We all recognize

beauty when we see it - we may not be able

to say exactly why, but it moves us. Beauty

makes people happy. Beauty also drives sales.

speed. Speed does not mean doing things in

a random rush. It does not mean cutting

corners, or working in a slapdash, non-

rigorous way. Use efficient processes and


55

quick thinking, followed by quick action.

respect. For time and for people. How we treat

people - our colleagues, our partners and

vendors, our consumers, our projects, our

environment, and ourselves, says a lot about

who we are as a company and as a people. We

are all capable of contributing to the greater

goal, and it is important to be mindful of that.

clarity. Any thing or any process should be exactly

what it needs to be and do exactly what it

needs to do. No more, no less. We should not

let second-guessing, self-doubt, accepted

practices or a competitor’s solution cloud our

vision of what is best for a given product or

service that we are creating.

pride. Do your own thing. Do not copy, do not

imitate or emulate. Every product from

another company is an expression of their

identity and their brand. It represents who

they are, how they work, how they think,

how they make things. With pride and with

confidence, let's do our own thing - assert our

own identity and strengthen our own brand.

ambition. With the right attitude, anything is possible.

We are privileged to live in a time when

everything can be done - Godrej just helped

send a satellite to Mars. Let’s never discuss

why things cannot be done; let’s figure out

how to make them happen.

I believe that design is democratic. I will

support any person in any capacity, in any

business who wants to make things happen.

If you feel you're the best at what you do [or

know someone who is], and have the drive

and the skills to do something absolutely

world-class, let's talk. Reach me anytime at

[email protected].

We are part of something big - it is

important to remember that, and easy to

forget in our day-to-day routine. So let’s think

big. Why? It is our aim to make the world's

best products, offer the best services, and

enable the best experiences. We'll do new and

genuinely interesting things. We'll do useful

things, and we'll enable meaningful things.

Above all, we'll do them better than they've

ever been done before - here or anywhere

else.

It is our aim to make the world's best products, offer the best services, and enable the best experiences. We'll do new and genuinely interesting things. We'll do useful things, and we'll enable meaningful things. Above all, we'll do them better than they've ever been done before - here or anywhere else.


7th March 2014: it was a beautiful sunny morning in latur, Maharashtra. With

the entire dome as a canvas and tools of

expression – paintbrushes and colours in their

hands, about 75 children were painting, not on

paper but directly on the ChotuKools. Through

the universal language of art and colour, each

child was expressing his own creativity by

painting on a ChotuKool, thus co-creating with

Godrej; a ChotuKool with a unique in design

at this painting competition organized at the

dome by Godrej.

What is Kaleidom?Kaleidom is a kaleidoscope of designs, art

and technology put under a dome. Simply

expressed, it is ‘Kala’ under the dome. It is

about ensuring a memorable experience for

consumers. Kaleidom, in its physical avatar

is approximately 19 meters in diameter. A

spherical shaped Geodesic dome created

by intersecting pentagonal steel elements

to form a semi-sphere. It is a temporary

structure, which can be dismantled and

installed easily at locations, where we wish to

carry out an experiential engagement with

local communities.

new Ways of reaching out To develop products and services which will

appeal to today’s consumers, a much deeper

and wider understanding of their psyche is

needed. This understanding can only be had

by interactive encounters with them and

actually observing their experiences with the

products and services offered.

Kaleidom is a unique and innovative

The Art & Science of Kaleidom

v i s i t o r s P e A K

“First time in the last 30 years, we have seen something like this happen in our town.”

Kaleidom is a unique and innovative platform where consumers can interact with the new innovations from Godrej. By observing these interactions we can learn about their unstated needs and aspirations. This will aid us in the creation of meaningful solutions.

A magnificent dome structure was seen projecting against the backdrop of a blue horizon. There was a lot of buzz inside the dome. A volcano of ideas was about to erupt.

Vikrant ShitoleGoDreJ innovAtion & DesiGn Centre

57

platform where consumers can interact

with the new innovations from Godrej. By

observing these interactions we can learn

about their unstated needs and aspirations.

This will aid us in the creation of meaningful

solutions.

It is akin to bringing a mall to a town that

never had a mall, thereby giving people an

experience they never had.

Kaleidom in laturThe first Kaleidom was launched by Godrej

at Latur, Maharashtra on 7th March 2014.

Latur became an obvious choice for launching

the new ChotuKool and the new platform of

Kaleidom because it was here, in 2009, that we

had launched the first prototype of ChotuKool

at the Sakhimela. Sakhis have been an

integral part of the ChotuKool journey, having

collaborated with us in its various phases.

The aim was to engage children and women

and launch the new ChotuKool which is about

design, customization and art. Kaleidom gave

the people of Latur a reason to celebrate in

their own local community, and experience a

showcase of local Indian art forms rendered

by traditional artisans of Gujarat and

Maharashtra. The artists demonstrated rare

Indian art forms like Rogan, Ajrak and wood

block printing to 1000+ visitors, mainly women

and children, over a span of two days. The

children got a chance to express their own

creativity by painting on the ChotuKools.

Encouraging the children and artists to paint

directly on the ChotuKools gave them an

opportunity to put their own creative stamps

on the ChotuKools. Through this opportunity,

the children present were exposed to new art

forms and also learnt about the rich traditions

of local art.

The augmented reality experience gave

the people of Latur a taste of digital-physical

interaction. The most memorable part of the

event was the evening show. The enthralling

performance by Sona Mohapatra left over

4000 people awestruck. It was incredible to

see so many people coming together for a

celebration of art.

On the occasion of International Women’s

Day (8th March), we celebrated the

achievements of rural women entrepreneurs.

1000+ women entrepreneurs or Sakhis,

gathered at Sakhi Mela, a concurrent event

that was held next to the dome. A few Sakhis

carried the new ChotuKool on their heads

to centre stage and unveiled it to a large

audience, amidst huge applause. One of the

ChotuKools that was unveiled, featured a

traditional Bandhej design, which matched

the design of the Sakhis’ sarees. The Sakhi

Project is an initiative of an NGO, Swayam

Shikshan Prayog (SSP). SSP aims to empower

rural women, most without formal education,

who aspire to become entrepreneurs.


“We always understood marketing as the marketing of products, but in reality what people consume are experiences. What they carry in their memory are the experiences that they have as a result of the consumption of a product or a service in the past. the product and communication will not be as important in the future. the game changer will be the right experiences delivered flawlessly.”

“It is important to take new ideas to new markets and to the people there.”n A v r o Z e G o D r e J


Kaleidom v 2.0 at Ahmedabad The spirit of Kaleidom at Latur was carried

forward to Ahmedabad at an event that

was held from May 23rd and 2nd June 2014.

If Kaleidom at Latur was about community

celebrations and empowering people, then

Kaleidom V2.0 was all about taking this

new experience to many more people. The

challenge was to create amazing experiences,

which in turn would generate a great deal

of interest and excitement for the new

ChotuKool. The thought here was to use art

as a medium to bring people together at a

community level and to enable them to take

back noteworthy experiences.

Kaleidom at Ahmedabad was planned

in a way that would provide a befitting

launchpad for the new ChotuKool amidst

media frenzy on a relatively larger scale. Here

we had a 360 sq. meter dome which was

part of a larger fair – VACATION 2014. This

fair is held in Ahmedabad every year and is

considered the biggest consumer exhibition

and in many ways, a family entertainment

event. At this event, the intent was to bring

out the local art and showcase it in a grand

way. Live demonstrations of local art forms

such as Kathputli, wood block printing and

Latkaniya were carried out by the folk artists.

Ahmedavadi fervor was captured through an

n A v r o Z e ’ s t A K e

empower, creatively!“Essentially there are two things that we wanted to do with this

platform of the new chotuKool - to empower people economically and give a boost to their creative expressions. chotuKool is empowering these women economically by providing them an additional source of income. It is for the first time they are earning a wage - a secondary wage for their families, which gives them a huge amount of respect and recognition.

creative empowerment for these women comes from reaching out to people and getting them to contribute to the creation of these products by the means of their art, creativity, and ideas. It results in a meaningful engagement of the people with our products. The intellectual capabilities brought into play, makes our platform of the new chotuKool a very powerful enabler.

All these activities created an experience which will be remembered by the people of Latur for a long time to come. The chotuKool is about the people at the bottom of the income pyramid who now earn a living by doing work which is respectable and is not considered menial. A sense of pride is experienced by these people, as the work they do, now has an element of their own creativity in it. Kaleidom is an attempt by Godrej to add a meaning to the lives of these people.”

left: Navroze Godrej interacting with kids during the painting

competition.

Above: Children expressing through digital art.

right: artist painting a live portrait of a kid.

59

interesting art found in the Mirzapur area of

the city. This is often found hand painted on

mudguards and the sides of auto rickshaws.

These art forms were painted live, directly on

the ChotuKools. The other attractions were

showcasing of Warli art by a local family and

painting of live portraits of customers directly

on to the ChotuKools. For the artists, the event

was an occasion to earn, learn and grow. The

folk artists felt recognized as they were able

to showcase the rarity of their art form. The

visitors loved seeing their own imprints on the

ChotuKools and were even prepared to buy

them by paying a premium for personalization.

The best of the lot was, however, the

magnificent ‘Mata ni Pachedi’ – a heritage

art of Gujarat, which was also painted on a

ChotuKool. ChotuKool was displayed in the

context of a life-like bedroom, office and a car.

It was also shown in the context of outdoor

travel and as a gift. Its functional benefits

were creatively demonstrated. The aim here

was to inform the potential buyers that they

now had a choice of co-creating a ChotuKool

with their unique expression on it.

Digital interaction included a 3-D

Video wall projection, digital drawing on the

ChotuKool canvas, using augmented reality

and air gesturing to engage children. The 3D

wall projection of ChotuKool animation, with

breathtaking special effects and lighting,

mesmerized the visitors.

As a result, a huge amount of excitement

and awareness was created for the ChotuKool

amongst the urban youth, housewives, newly

married couples and the students of design

schools.

The fervour on the ground was replicated

digitally through our Facebook page. This was

enhanced through a contest called ‘Express

your taste’, inviting our followers’ creative

expressions on the theme. Many outstanding

entries were received and the winner was

announced on the last day of the fair. The prize

for the winner was a ChotuKool with his/her

own expression on it.

At the heart of Kaleidom, is the model of

co-creation, one that is essential for Godrej’s

cross-fertilization of ideas. It is exactly this

that will facilitate the development of future

products.

New markets can be created by engaging

with NGOs, communities of rural women,

children and the like.

At the heart of Kaleidom, is the model of co-creation, one that is essential for Godrej’s cross-fertilization of ideas.


“if you believe in your product, let people see it, play with it, and understand it – this is what Kaleidom gave us the opportunity to do with regards to ChotuKool.”


“i will never forget my experience at Kaleidom.”


mission on Sustainable Growth’ – a CII initiative, was adopted by G&B at the behest of mr. Jamshyd Godrej. The objective here

was to involve the senior management

of the member companies and seek their

commitment to set voluntary targets for

reducing intensity of resource usage. Some

of the Ten Commandments embodied were:

control over fuel or power consumption,

waste reduction or water conservation.

These created an awareness across the

organisations, giving (use plural form as

we have mentioned member companies

earlier) clear, measurable action points in

every critical area which are common to all

businesses. The targets set were dovetailed

into the performance management system

so that clear accountability and responsibility

towards environment could be established.

Employees across all levels in businesses were

drawn into the mission, which resulted in

perceptible results across G&B.

The Mission helped institute an internal

assessment system for the efforts towards

sustainable manufacturing and growth. But

was this enough? Wouldn’t it be better to have

an external perspective as well – one that was

looking inward from outside? The CII mulled

over this requirement. With several of its

members having embarked on their own

journeys towards sustainability, there was a

need have a set of common measures and

benchmarks as well as stretched targets in the

context of national and international indices.

A healthy competition was desirable to enable

member companies raise the bar continually.

It is from this line of thinking that emerged

the CII Green Business Centre GreenCo

Rating System, a framework for defining and

assessing a business’ performance on the

green front.

GA’s Shirwal plant embarked upon its

GreenCo journey in August 2013, as shown

in the diagrammatic representation of

the milestones below. The journey gained

momentum and in barely two months, the

entire documentation was complete and

offered for assessment.

the Quest for the PlatinumEnthused with the Gold rating, we decided

to make our bid for the Platinum rating. As we

had structure for MSG in place, it was easy for

us to form teams to do the additional work

required. In 2010, G&B adopted the Good &

Green CSR initiative, which gave us a push

to further realize our ambitious targets. We

recognized that the ambitious targets set by

us would not only help us make the Platinum

rating but also help us becoming ‘Good &

Green’ for the society.

In our endeavour to be green we discovered Platinum!the first, and only, manufacturing establishment in the country to be awarded the cII Platinum Green co certification

Hussain shariyarrGoDreJ APPliAnCes

61

Energy EfficiencyIn 2004-05, our energy consumption was

17kwh/appliance which stands reduced to 7.54kwh/appliance in 2013-14– a healthy reduction of 56 percent over the last decade. We were able to achieve this as a result of many significant initiatives, undertaken to reduce energy consumption, that were of a fixed and variable nature. Progressively, we converted the consumption that which assumed to be fixed to a variable one. our usage of renewable energy has been rising year after year.

the initiative of pursuing efficiencies in energy consumption has led to the conservation of electrical energy of about a million KWH in the last three years, saving us a sum of rs. 74.00 Lacs. As the savings have been larger than envisaged, the investment of rs. 1.12 crores stands recovered in mere 1.5 years as against the planned period of 3 years. our GHG emissions too have been reduced proportionately.

the Appliances team at Shirwal believes that energy consumption can be lowered even further to the best prevalent global standards.

T a R g e T c O m p a R i s O n

Corporate Shirwal Plant

Renewable Energy30% by 2020 40% By 2016

Waste to Landfillzero by 2020 zero by 2016

Water PositiveBy 2020 By 2015

Carbon NeutralityBy 2020 By 2018

Reduction in SEC20% by 2020 30% by 2020

e n e R g y c O n s u m p T i O n

2013-14

7.54 kwhPer Appliance

2004-05

17 kwhPer Appliance

56% reduction in Energy Consumption in over 9 years. The team believes that it can be lowered even further to the best levels prevailing globally.

Shirwal 2014

Shirwal 1996


Water Conservationthe water consumption has fallen from

132 ltr/appliance to 84 ltr/appliance, a reduction of 36 percent in the span of 6 years. frequent water crisis, triggered by vagaries of the climate, forces water authorities to shut off supplies from the nearby river leaving us, high and dry. this nudged us to aim for becoming water neutral and eventually, water positive by 2015. We have taken a number of measures like adding of five new bore-wells with recharge chambers, rain water harvesting and creating a water body in an

innovative way on a hilly terrain. We have spent an approximately rs. 50 lacs on all these initiatives. they will help us reduce our dependency on water tankers for our supply. As summer is a peak period for the Appliance business, reducing production could prove to be very expensive for us, hence, we believe, the money spent on creating water security over a long time is justified.

36% reduction in Water Consumption over 6 years. We have taken a number of measures ranging from the adding of five new bore-wells with recharge chambers, rain water harvesting and creating a water body in an innovative way on a hilly terrain.

W a T e R c O n s u m p T i O n

2013-14

84 ltrPer Appliance2007-08

132 ltrPer Appliance

rain water harvesting system for

ground water recharge

63

Renewable EnergyWe have been increasing our

consumption of renewable energy year after year. In 2013-14, renewable energy was 23 percent of our total consumption as against mere 7 percent in 2010-11. our gasifier plant, which generates producer gas, has been the star performer in this area. Producer gas is now used for firing our powder coating and other ovens. the refrigerator test labs have now switched over to solar heating instead of electrical energy. Now, even the computers in the offices are powered by solar energy. Going ahead, we intend to harvest solar

power for cooking meals for our people. Some of the benefits are, 5.6 lacs litres of diesel have been conserved in last three years, resulting in saving rs. 91 lacs; which is notwithstanding the fact that diesel prices have been increased by the government by 51 percent in the last three years. 1500M greenhouse emissions have been prevented on account of the above measures. over next two years, we want the share of renewable energy to increase to more than 40 percent of the total energy consumption.

c O n s u m p T i O n O f R e n e W a B l e e n e R g y

2013-14

23%

2010-11

7%

200% increase in use of Renewable Energy. Over the next two years, we want the share of Renewable Energy to increase to more than 40% of the total energy consumption.

using natural light to light up the spaces at day


Material Recyclingthe amount of hazardous waste sent

to the landfill has dropped considerably by 55 percent in the last 4 years. GA is targeting zero waste to landfill by 2016. consequently we have embarked upon many innovative projects e.g. using ash generated by burning hangers which is utilized in the coating process for making bricks while keeping the heavy metal content within permissible limits.

A study conducted on our products confirmed that the recyclability of our products is nearly 100 percent and the recycled content ranges between 25-35 percent. even in the future, we aim to retain 100 percent recyclability of all our products.

Another innovative project undertaken by us, deals with doing away with conventional carton packaging. We have introduced plastic film packaging for our refrigerators which results in saving

of 2.8 kgs of packaging material i.e. rs 50 per refrigerator. considering the number of refrigerators we produce, this conservation amounts to saving of 1100 tonnes of paper per year and 17 trees are saved with every ton of paper.

Besides the above, our recycling strategy has yielded impressive results. Items like thermocole and used empty silicon spray bottles are sold back to suppliers for reuse. Plastic lumps, rejections, foam and used oil are reused nearly by 100 percent, after some processing. Waste packing wood is used as a fuel for the producer gas plant and the waste paper is converted into pulp for recycling. We believe we are on a solid ground to meet our ambitious goals.

55% drop in amount of hazardous waste sent to landfill in the last 4 years. We believe we are on a solid ground to meet our ambitious goals of targeting zero waste to landfill 2016.

inside the Shirwal manufacturing plant

65

Green Supply Chainour green efforts must extend to our

larger family including vendors. As part of our cluster development journey, we took in 8 of our suppliers and introduced our green module midway into the journey. our suppliers were enthusiastic and undertook several initiatives such as setting up of an effluent treatment Plant, solar power for office computers, induction lamps, planting trees and cultivating lawns for making their campuses greener.

A study of our critical suppliers has shown that over the last two years, energy consumption has been reduced by 11.8 percent; water consumption by 10.2 percent and waste generated is reduced by 8.1 percent.

We realize that we have a long way to go in making our entire supply chain green, however we have made significant progress and we are encouraged by the enthusiastic response of our suppliers.

Product Stewardship

Products rolling out of GA’s Shirwal plant have done well in the domain of Good & Green. the edge Pro range of refrigerators delivers a stellar 6 star energy performance, while being completely green in its usage of refrigerant and foaming agent. the ‘Green Balance’ split air conditioners are extremely frugal, consuming 20 percent less energy than conventional Acs. our efforts have resulted in honoring our nation’s commitment to the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols, regarding ozone depletion and climate change.

Our efforts have resulted in honoring our nation’s commitment to the Montreal and Kyoto Protocols regarding ozone depletion and climate change.

To conclude, I would like to state that our

dash to platinum rating was a short one, only

18 days between the application for the award

and the award itself. GA Shirwal now enjoys

unique distinction of being the only facility

in India having GreenCo Platinum rating.

Going green has also enabled us transform

our campus to a sylvan green landscape from

a barren hillock. This transformation never

seizes to amaze the visitors and our own

people who now work in this healthy, soothing

and cool facility.

Our green efforts must extend to our larger family including vendors. We realize that we have a long way to go in making our entire supply chain green, however we have made significant progress and we are encouraged by the enthusiastic response of our suppliers.

R e D u c T i O n O f c O n s u m p T i O n B y c R i T i c a l s u p p l i e R s

eNerGy

11.8%

WAter

10.2%


Kapalbhati Sit down with both legs folded in

Sukhasana. Keep your back and neck straight,

with both hands at the knees in Gyan

mudra (as shown). Keep your eyes closed.

Exhale forcefully through your nose so that

your stomach goes in. Don’t move your

shoulders. Don’t make an effort to inhale.

Exhale forcefully 30-40 times, breathe out

completely and relax. Increase to 50-60 times

gradually. This Asana helps eliminate toxins

from the respiratory system and cleanses the

body and mind.

If you have a heart problem, high blood

pressure or hernia, breathe out slowly.

Agnisaar KriyaStand straight, your feet apart by a foot.

Place your hands on your knees and loosen

your belly. Exhale fully, hold your breath out

and pull the stomach in, such that it touches

the back, to the extent possible. Then loosen

and release the stomach. Repeat this action

for as long as you can. Then relax and inhale.

This completes one round of the Kriya. Do

this Kriya two to three times. Agnisaar Kriya

benefits the digestive system and keeps the

stomach light.

KatichakrasanaLie on your back. Fold your legs at the knee

and let your heels touch your hips. Outstretch

your arms to shoulder level. Keeping your

torso steady, twist both legs to the left while

turning your face to the right. Inhale and

return to base position. Repeat for the other

side to complete one round. Repeat this Asana

6-8 times. This Asana activates the digestive

system and improves liver and spleen

functioning.

Yoga to driveyogacharya Surakshit Goswami

Build and strengthen your Immunity

67

Dhanurasana Lie down on your stomach with your face

down. Bend your legs and grasp your ankles

with your hands. Now inhale and raise the

hind part of your body and then raise your

chest, too.

Bend the neck backward and keep your

eyes closed. There should be a tug of war

between your legs and hands. The entire

body should rest just on your belly. Arch the

back into a bow shape. Hold the posture for as

long as you can. Breathe normally. Return to

normal position, and repeat twice.

This exercises the spine fully, making it

stronger and more flexible; benefits lungs,

heart, kidneys, liver, intestines, spleen and

stomach; it strengthens all digestive organs.

Mandukasana Sit in Vajrasana and clench your fists,

keeping the thumb inside and pressing with

the fingers. Bring your fists towards your

stomach, fingers facing down. Now exhale,

press your fists into the side of the navel

and bend forward as far as you can. Raise

your head while keeping your eyes closed.

Breathe normally. Hold the Asana for as long

as you can. Inhale as you return. Repeat this

Asana three times. It is excellent for those

suffering from diabetes, constipation, acidity,

indigestion and urinary problems. It benefits

the lungs and heart. Those with backache, slip

disc and osteoporosis should not attempt this

Asana.

Bhramari Pranayama Sit in Sukhasana with back and neck

straight. Breathe normally. Close both ears

with your thumbs. Close your eyes. Keep your

index fingers on your forehead near the Ajna

Chakra (as shown) and the remaining three

fingers on your eyes. Inhale slowly and fill your

lungs with air. Then, as you exhale slowly, hum

like a bee. Focus on this sound. Repeat 10- 12

times. This Asana counters tension, stress,

anxiety, insomnia and nervous weakness,

all said to be the main causes of hair fall and

greying.

away the bluesIt is that time of the year again when humidity and temperatures are ideal for the spread of viral infections. most of us seem to be down with the flu because of low immune systems. However, if you are practicing yoga regularly, it keeps your body, sense organs, mind and life-force, free of ailments. yoga helps lower stress hormone levels, conditions lungs and respiratory tract, ousts toxins from the body and brings oxygenated blood to various organs, to ensure their optimal functioning. To build and strengthen your immunity, you could practice the following exercises.


called her ‘the lady with the lamp’.

To celebrate the birth centenary year of

Dosabai, daughter of Pirojsha Godrej, the

Pirojsha Godrej Foundation (PGF) announced

the Dosabai Godrej-Naoroji Awards for

compassionate care. These awards are meant

to felicitate and recognize the good work

done by the nurses at the Godrej Memorial

Hospital (GMH). Dosabai was influenced and

inspired by Florence Nightingale. During the

Second World War she served the people of

Bombay, following Nightingale’s footsteps.

Hence, this year on May 12th, an award

function was held to commemorate the

birth centenary of Dosabai and celebrate

International Nurses’ Day.

The programme began with an invocation,

followed by a prayer song and a dance by the

nurses. The honourable guests were then

invited to light the lamp, which was followed

by the nurses renewing the Nightingale oath,

which touched the hearts of those present.

mr. Rishad Naoroji and mrs. Smita Godrej Crishna were invited to address the audience

and spoke a few words on the life of Dosabai

and her compassion for all living beings. They

expressed their pleasure at the institution

of the awards and stated that in future such

awards will be extended to all the nurses in

Mumbai.

mrs. Ajita Pawar, Director Nursing, Breach

Candy hospital, Mumbai, was then requested

to deliver a talk on the theme for this year’s

International Nurses’ Day. The theme was, ‘A

force for change, a vital resource for health’.

Mrs. Pawar rightly said, “It is now widely

recognized that unless adequately trained

and motivated nurses and healthcare workers

are available in larger numbers, it will not be

possible to deliver good quality healthcare

service to our ever-growing population.”

Adding to this, she also said, “Just adding

more nurses is not the solution. But, to deliver

good healthcare, the work environment for

nurses has to be appropriately designed and

Celebrating Dosabai Godrej Naoroji’s Birth CentenaryRecognizing and felicitating good nursing

the birth anniversary of Florence nightingale falls on 12th May and is celebrated all over the world as international nurses’ Day. she is considered to be the founder of the modern nursing profession. Her achievements as a nurse and as an activist

provided an essential turning point to the

history of healthcare delivery. Additionally,

she made many important reforms to the

nursing profession. She was a ministering

angel and the very sight of her brought solace

to the wounded and suffering soldiers during

the Crimean War. She would make her solitary

rounds in the quietness of night with a little

lamp in her hand. The soldiers affectionately

Daisy RajGoDreJ MeMoriAl HosPitAl THE INVOCATION

shubham karothi kalyanam, arogyam dhana sampada,shatru buddhi vinashaya, deepa jyotir namostute!

69

maintained.” After Mrs. Pawar’s thought-

provoking address, the nurses performed

another dance.

mr. Percy E. Fouzdar shared with the

audience, the history and emotions that are

behind the institution of the ‘Dosabai Godrej

Naoroji Award for Compassionate Care’ and

other projects undertaken, to celebrate

Dosabai’s birth centenary year.

As the Master of Ceremony, I gave a brief

overview of the selection process followed

for the award. Also, I requested Mr. B. M.

Wadia, PGF Trustee, to felicitate the jury

members. Thereafter, Nalini Kala of Corporate

Communications - G&B, broke the suspense

by announcing the winners of various awards.

Mr. Rishad Naoroji and Mrs. Smita Godrej

Crishna presented the awards to the winners

and congratulated them.

Each winner received a lapel pin, a

certificate. A cash prize which of Rs. 1,00,000

for the winner and Rs. 50,000 for the runners-

ups of Categories 1 and 2. A commendation

prize of Rs 25,000 was also given for

Categories 3 and 4.

Dr. Suhas Gangurde, CEO, GMH, addressed

the gathering and conveyed his appreciation.

He also encouraged nurses to perform their

best in delivering high quality care and to

strive hard to create new benchmarks in their

careers. Concluding the program, Mr. Persis

Banaji, CFO, GMH thanked the guests and the

gathering. The closing of the programme was

marked by an exquisite dance by the nurses

who expressed their gratitude through their

dance, for the awards instituted.

Overall, this thoughtfully put together

programme ended at the stipulated time and

was appreciated by everyone for its elegance,

simplicity and everyone’s participation.

Dosabai Godrej-Naoroji Awards for Compassionate Care will be given every year on may 12th, i.e. the International Nurses’ Day, to inspire the nurses at GmH and elsewhere.

top: dance performance by the nurses

left: lamp lighting by the dignitaries. (l to r) Behram Wadia,

PGF Trustee, Sr. agnes, head of Nursing, Gmh, Smita Godrej-

Crishna and rishad Naoroji

Above: one of the winners receiving the award from the

members of the Godrej Family.

clinical Nursing Inpatient

W a r d

W I n n E r

jincy Baby

1,00,000

r u n n E r u P

Kalaiselvi B 50,000

Staff/Patient Management

a d M I n I s T r a T I o n

W I n n E r

Vasuki janakiraman

1,00,000

C o M M E n d a T I o n

Manisha Makarand Modi

25,000

Education and Mentoring

W I n n E r

Gracy Girgol Mascarenhas

1,00,000

C o M M E n d a T I o n

Vineeth H25,000

clinical Nursing Inpatient

C r I T I C a L C a r E

W I n n E r

Soumya Bernadits

1,00,000

r u n n E r u P

Shilpa Rejo Thomas

50,000


Godrej Precision Engineering

Wins a Platinum!

STREAK!WINNING

T H E

on the 13th of June 2014, the award was given at the

Federation House, New Delhi, by mr. Siddharth Birla, President,

FICCI. The Award is an initiative of the FICCI Manufacturing

Committee, to recognise firms and companies that display high

performance Quality Systems, leading to systematic improvement

in organisational performance. The award provides a benchmark

for manufacturers. The best practices of awardees are shared

with the applicants and the industry. Quality Council of India (QCI)

is the Knowledge Partner for these awards.

GPE bagged this award in its first attempt.

On the occasion, many dignitaries were present, including

mr. m.m. Singh, Chairman, FICCI Manufacturing Committee and

Chief Mentor, Maruti Suzuki India Ltd; mr. Rohit Relan, Co-

Chair, FICCI Manufacturing Committee and Managing Director,

Relan Group of Industries; mr. Shyam Bang, Co-Chair, FICCI

Manufacturing Committee and Executive Director, Jubilant Life

Sciences, and Dr. A. Didar Singh, Secretary General, FICCI.

This year, a total of 93 organisations from 12 broad

manufacturing sectors had applied for the assessment, given in

three categories of Large, Medium and Small industries.

The other industries in the competition were L&T, Nokia

Solutions, Johnson and Johnson, ITC, Welspun, Mahindra &

Mahindra, Sonakoyo, MRF, Gabriel India Ltd and Videocon.

Kaustubh Shukla, COO, Godrej Industrial Products Group said,

“I am happy to note that the GPE team has received this national

recognition for its Quality System. Pursuit of excellence in quality

practices will help us improve our systems to international

standards. Such recognition will serve as an inspiration for all of

us on our journey of excellence. ”

GPe representative anand Bagdare and Prashant Borgaonkar receiving the award.

From left: dr. a. didar Singh, Secretary General, FiCCi; Shri. Siddharth Birla, President,

FiCCi; mr. m.m.Singh, Chairman, FiCCi manufacturing Committee and Chief mentor,

maruti Suzuki india ltd; mr. Shyam Bang, Co-Chair, FiCCi manufacturing Committee

and executive director, Jubilant life Sciences; mr. rohit relan, Co-Chair, FiCCi

manufacturing Committee and managing director, relan Group of industries

71

Godrej security solutions Wins at Cannes Lions 2014

Cannes Lion Awards 2014 were held between 15th to 21st June, where Godrej

Security Solutions (GSS) won a Bronze Lion for its press campaign. The campaign

comprises of three entries - House, Antique Store and music Store. All these ads

were created by JWT, GSS’ agency partner. Winning a Lion at Cannes was a

continuation of the winning spree of GSS, of bagging 12 metals at the ABBy’s

awards held in Goa recently. GSS is the first among G&B businesses to win this

coveted award.

This year GSS had 10 creative entries at Cannes in various categories

including Television Commercials.

The Cannes Lions Awards is an annual festival that has been recognizing the

best in communication and creativity since 1954. It has grown to become the

world’s biggest celebration of creativity in communications, with more than

35,000 entries from all over the world and more than 12,000 delegates from 94

countries in attendance each year.

“This is one more feather in our cap. We look forward to many more such achievements in the future.”

DArA byrAMJee BUSINESS HEAD, GSS

“We are happy that our work has been consistently recognized by the marketing and advertising fraternity for its creativity and effectiveness.”

MeHernosH PitHAWAllAHEAD Of MARKETING, GSS

CHANGE congratulates the marketing team at GSS for its outstanding work.

a marathon Run!Rajesh SurveP& AD

The third s.P. Godrej Marathon was held on sunday, 29th June, 2014, at the Creek side Colony, Pirojshanagar. The event attracted a total of 181 employees who participated in three categories namely Women, Men - below 45 years and Men - above 45 years. Like each year, this year as well, Godrejites were interested in running for the standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon (sCMM). some of the leading runners from each category (not sponsored earlier), would stand a good chance of getting sponsored by the company, for the sCMM. The 6kms long run of the sPG Marathon worked as a qualifying test of physical fitness and endurance for the participants.

Debashish Sahu of Godrej Appliances, emerged as a winner for the second year in a row with a timing of 29.10 minutes in the ‘Men’s below 45 years’ category.

anil Lingayat, Business head, Godrej Material handling, was the chief guest for the event and he flagged off the race. The top three runners from each of the categories were awarded medals, while all others who completed the marathon received a certificate of participation. The volunteers carefully organized the event. They ensured that the participants remained hydrated and followed the correct route.

The marathon was an enjoyable event for participants and viewers alike.

STREAK!WINNING

T H E


This is an internationally recognised, highly coveted and extremely competitive

award in the ToC community. It is given to those select companies that have

demonstrated significant and sustainable improvement in performance using TOC

philosophies, approaches and tools. Some of the earlier winners have been global

leaders like ABB, Boeing and others. The only Indian company to win this award has

been FleetGuard Filters – a Cummins Group Company.

The award was presented by Dr. Lisa Lang, Chairperson of the TOCICO Board, to Rahul Naik of GSS at TOCICO International Conference held at Bolger Centre, Washington DC,

USA, on 11th June 2014. TOC practitioners from around 77 countries had participated in

the conference. Rahul Naik, along with Ramnish Gaikwad of Vector Consultancy Group,

made a presentation at the award function. Their presentation was titled ‘Godrej Security Solutions – Viable Vision Journey Continues Even in a Slowdown’ which was about

GSS’ TOC journey and achievements so far.

The selection process was rigorous and the competing organisations were

evaluated on criteria such as developing of breakthrough solutions which may

be worth emulating by others, breadth of the initiatives taken as opposed to its

narrowness, sustained and verifiable record of improvements, compliance to the

moral code of TOC and contributions towards improving TOC practice through public

education, publications, workshops etc.

Above: GSS Team with ToCiCo award (l-r), Burzin daruwalla, K. S. Sawant, rahul Naik, ramnish Gaikwad

(Vector Consultancy Group) and V. S. ramesh

Godrej security solutions

Overcomes Constraints!

STREAK!WINNING

T H E

73

Godrej Precision Engineering Helps Electrons Collide

GPE has successfully executed a very challenging project

of manufacturing microtron magnet Assembly (MMA) for one

of the largest electron collider facilities (Indus I & II) in Asia.

The MMA was supplied to Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology (RRCAT), Indore, a unit of the Department of Atomic Energy.

Indus I and Indus II are two national facilities of synchrotron

radiation which are powerful sources of protons and electrons

with wavelengths in the ultra-violet and x-ray ranges. These

facilities are used by researchers from national laboratories,

academic institutions and industries in India for electron

and proton bombardment on specimens for conducting

experiments.

The Microtron generates electrons and energizes them

to 20MeV using a magnet dipole weighing nearly 2000 kgs.

These electrons are then boosted to energy levels upto 2.2GeV

before they collide with research objects.

Senior Scientific Officers of RRCAT, Mr. Subhajit Dutta

and Mr. Pankaj Kumar were very satisfied with the product

quality delivered and performance of the assembly. Mr.

Dutta remarked, “The equipment was developed exactly as

per design requirements without any deviations by Godrej

Precision Engineering.” GPE also got applauded for delivering

the equipment one month before the contractual delivery

period of 8 months. This was a superb achievement.

In manufacturing the MMA, many challenges were

encountered. One such challenge was to work with very pure

and soft steels, namely, Extra Ferritic Electrical steel and a

special grade of stainless steel (SS 316LN). EFE steel, being very

soft is prone to getting damaged at the slightest impact.

Another challenge was to maintain the purity of the

steel. Welding components using electrodes made of the

parent material itself, was a huge challenge. Finally, to

maintain accuracy of .02mm over a span of 1400mm was very

demanding and so was super-finishing the surfaces with RA*

value of 0.8 or below.

Over and above these manufacturing challenges, there were

challenges of assembling the equipment with a high degree of

alignment i.e. 100 micron over a span of 800 mm. The assembly

was also subjected to vacuum tests of a very high order.

In short, manufacturing MMA to ultra-precision standards

so that it passes very stringent tests, was accomplished by

a combination of superb process control and craftsmanship

of a high order. This is a great example of a man-machine

combination working in tandem to achieve standards not

commonly heard of.

Congratulations team GPE!

STREAK!WINNING

T H E


CLIMATECHANGE

FLOODING

DROUGHT

TEMPERATURE

CARBONDIOXIDE

GREEN

GLOBALWARMING

GREENHOUSEGAS

POLLUTION

CARBONFOOTPRINT

SUSTAINABILITY

WEATHER

FOSSILFUEL

BIOFUEL

ENVIRONMENT

RECYCLE

RENEWABLEENERGY

EXTINCTION

METHANE

BIODIVERSITY

SEALEVEL

WORD BUff

SUDOKU COUNT THE SHAPES

This word search puzzle has a theme... Energy! all the words listed are conventional spellings. For a real challenge though, try to find as many words as you can without looking at the word list.

mind meldthe

Number of Triangles ________

Number of Squares _________

Number of Triangles ________

Number of rhombuses ______

Number of hexagons ________

75

Courtesy - Therefore Design

@Hubblehone your craft skills by making the huBBLE cube and let your colleagues know where you are when not at your desk!

•cut along the dotted edges•fold along the inside lines to form

the cube •Glue the flaps into place

Documents

Towards New Horizons