Mumbai: It’s India’s 72nd Independence Day. A look back at the history highlights in many ways how the business history of the Group mirrors the journey of the country from Swadeshi movement to independence, and beyond. It is also the foremost example of ‘Make in India’.
For Ardeshir Godrej (group’s founder), independence could not be truly achieved by merely boycotting British goods. He envisioned a self-reliant India. In 1897, he therefore decided to manufacture locks. In 1920, Godrej introduced the world’s first toilet soap from vegetable oil, and showed the world a humane way to meet human needs. Godrej manufactured 1.7 million secure ballot boxes for independent India’s first elections in 1951, taking part in India’s journey towards becoming the world’s largest democracy.
Creativeland Asia has conceptualised this nostalgic film inter-twining Godrej Group’s 120-year-journey from manufacturing locks in 1897, to making soaps from vegetable oil, to making India’s first ballot boxes, to making Asia’s first typewriters, to making key components for India’s first Mars mission in 2013. The film beautifully encapsulates the transition of the brand from not just “Making In India” but “Making India”.
Commenting on the film, Tanya Dubash, Executive Director and Chief Brand Officer, Godrej Group said, “Godrej’s journey is wonderfully intertwined with our country’s history. This fills me with immense pride. The nostalgia-tinted stories of the past narrated in the film inspire our present and our future. It portrays our 120 year old journey towards Making India and strengthens our commitment towards further building the nation.”
Godrej made Asia’s first typewriters in 1955, contributing to the nation’s mission of propelling women into workforce. They were also the first Indian company to manufacture refrigerators in 1958, supporting the movement of freeing women from the kitchen. Godrej Group introduced mosquito repellent mats in 1984, contributing towards making India free from vector-borne diseases. When the gale force of economic reforms came sweeping in 1991, Godrej Group ventured in making products that sustainably increased crop yields, thereby doing their bit to help farmers double their income. In 2013, the Group extended its footprint beyond Earth and made key components for India’s first Mars Mission, participating in free India’s most glorious moment.
YouTube link of video –
