Towards New Horizons

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Special Issue

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 Lt d

Towards New Horizons Vol 12-13 | October 2015

For Free Distribution Only


38 Special Issue O c tober 2 0 1 5

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The editorial team

Anil Verma

Head, Edit Board

04 Cultural Change at G&B Navroze Godrej

10 Culture &

Measurements Ravi Gilani

12 Godrej One

Nalini Kala

Edit Board

Suruchi Trivedi

16 Sprint Program Nikhil, Nalini, Vazir, Sneha, Tejashree

18 Horizon Program Kaustubh Joshi, Sujata Sanke

Deepak Banota

Edit Board

22 Kindness Unlimited Dishaa Desai

24 Towards New Horizons Parampal Singh

26 Designing The Hubble

Nariman Bacha

Distribution

Avik Parui, Nagbhushan Hegde, Devesh Mistry

28 Branding The Hubble Gunjan Arya

29 A Dash of Garlic Javed Khan

31 Bedazzled Nalini Kala

34 Examine Express

Endorse

Sanghamitra Sen

36 Godrej After Hubble...

One Year On Anil Verma

38 Godrej Purpose Pillars Hemmant Jha

40 Purpose Pillars:

Answers Sought Suruchi Trivedi

60 In our endeavour to be

green we discovered Platinum! Hussain Shariyarr

66 Yoga to Drive Away the

Blues

Yogacharya Surakshit Goswami

68 Celebrating Dosabai

Godrej Naoroji's Birth Centenary Daisy Raj

70 The Winning Streak 74 The Mind Meld

46 Exploring the Changing

World through Purpose Pillars Suruchi Trivedi

50 Zen with Bonsai Nikunj & Jyoti Parekh

52 Hemmant Jha on

Design, Ambition and Godrej Hemmant Jha

56 The Art & Science of

Kaleidom

Vikrant Shitole

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 Change@Godrej.com Visit us online change.godrej.com


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

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

Editorial

Indrapal Singh Editor

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

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.


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.

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.

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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.


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?

"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."

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.

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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.

"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."

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.

"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." 6

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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


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?”

“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.” 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.

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

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.

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.

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.

"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." 8

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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. Hubble@godrej.com

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Culture & Measurements 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.

Ravi Gilani gold r at t i nd i a

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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

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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


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

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

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.

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Godrej One Experience the numerous possibilities for the future A R e p ort

Suruchi Trivedi god re j Innovat io n & D es i g n C e nt r e

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 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. 12

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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!

Home Sector Our 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.

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Work Sector Banking & 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 Sector Mehernosh Pithawalla, Security Solutions Swapnil Nagarkar, Interio The Infrastructure Sector Ganesh Raghavan, EFACEC

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Infrastructure Sector It 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.

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Sprint Program Run 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.

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.

Nikhil Chaudhari

Vazir Nadaph

Tejashree Joshi

Nalini Kala

Sneha Gokhale

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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.

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The organisation gets an opportunity to access fresh ideas from within, evaluate them for business potential, adopt them and nurture them into business offerings. 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 1.0 In 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.

“ This is the right platform, this is the right time to get that idea out, and watch it come to life” Spri nter Abhi nav M a ne 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

“Sprint changed our direction of thinking” Spri nter Swapnil M hatr e 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 semiautomatic dish washer.

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

E xperien c e o f S printer from first edition

SPRINT Project: Kitchen Neo It 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.

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.

S o r a b h Mu kh i Godrej Interio D esign

m e s s ag e f r o m Na v r o z e

Innovation 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.”

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.

Spri nter Abhi nav M a ne

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Horizon Program A 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 Sanke God re j Innovat io n & D es i g n C e nt r e

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,

Above: Teams communicating their insights to GMC members through a roleplay Right : Teams building low fidelity prototypes to explore and evaluate their concepts.

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.

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. 18

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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. 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

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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


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.

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.

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

Dishaa Desai An Ac t iv e KUL M e m b e r

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

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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

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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. TRY A LITTLE K IN D NESS

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

j 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


TRY A LITTLE K IN D NESS

Let someone get ahead of you in a queue, especially the elderly or a hurrying mother with kids

j 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. TRY A LITTLE K IN D NESS

Donate regularly articles of common use - used clothing, books, toys and the like

j 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 TRY A LITTLE K IN D NESS

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 nm.kindnessunlimited@gmail.com.

Hold the elevator door for your fellow commuter

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Towards New Horizons

The 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.

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Parampal Singh Per s onn el & Admini stratio n

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

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

Designing The Hubble Avik Parui G odr ej I nnovat ion & D esign Cent r e

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Nagbhushan Hegde

Devesh Mistry Go drej In terio

G odr ej Int er io

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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


“The Hubble redefines expectations from one’s workplace, cafeteria etc. by allowing you to make it your own space.” G O D REJ ITE 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.” G O D REJ ITE ON The HUBBLE

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

G O D REJ ITE ON The HUBBLE

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

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Branding The Hubble Gunjan Arya D esign Of I nf or mat ion

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

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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, crosscompany 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,

“Very beautiful space, very apt and up to the mark. Will use this space to work, explore and eat.” G O D REJ ITE ON Th e H UBBLE

“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” G O D REJ ITE ON Th e H UBBLE

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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-andtell 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 nolonger-strangers to join, as well as post-its

A Dash of Garlic Javed Khan H ub b l e

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

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 Theatre A 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.

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Left: Road paint points the way to Hubble. Top: Invitation flags to encourage conversations with strangers.

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 

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Bedazzled 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 placeto-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

Nalini Kala Cor por at e Communicat ion

Health And Hygiene All 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 Shop The 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

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“To get more done, never eat alone” 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

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'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

“Godrej is changing. A generation change.” G O D REJ ITE ON Th e HUBBLE

“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”

“Fantabulous... get energized, fun loving place... this is what my friends missed, whoever couldn’t make it today.” G O D REJ ITE ON The HUBBLE

“I’m enjoying the 'best days of my life’ with Godrej.” G O D REJ ITE ON The HUBBLE

G O D REJ ITE ON Th e HUBBLE

“Discussion, get together, business development... would like to get our clients here.” G O D REJ ITE ON Th e HUBBLE

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Examine Express Endorse Using historical artefacts to provoke conversations that matter.

Sanghamitra Sen God re j A rch i v es

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.

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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

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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.”


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

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

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.

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

Prima typewriter. Left: Introspection and curiosity at Polling Centre No.13A

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Godrej after

The Hubble ...one year on

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,

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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

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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, 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 nonGodrej 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 Verma Execu tive Directo r & P residen t

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

Hemmant Jha God re j & B oyc e

Stacy Morton Ia Co lla bor ati v e

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

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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

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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


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 semiopaque attributes of the fabric filters colour and illuminates the faceted frame from within.

Above: The Purpose Pillars installation at Plant 13 Annexe. The six multi-faceted structures represent each of the six Pillars.

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

Th e S i x P i l l a r s

Security

Providing secure protection of goods and information

Energy

Making power accessible

Lifestyle

Enabling people to confidently express themselves

Wellness

Creating conditions that organically promote well-being

Connectivity

Connecting people to foster success

Productivity

Increasing people’s ability to achieve their goals

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.

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Purpose Pillars

Answers Sought

Suruchi Trivedi god re j Innovat io n & D es i g n C e nt r e

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.

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.

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. 40

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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,

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. 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.

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

Connectivity

Productivity

Connecting people to faster success

Increasing People's ability to achieve their goals

Security

Wellness

Estabishing conditions that proactively promote well-being

Providing secure protection of goods & information

Manufacturing & Thought Leadership

Lifestyle

Enabling people to confidently express themselves

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

Energy

Making Power accessible

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.

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

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2

Across Pillar

Connecting between pillars to inspire new offerings. Example

Furniture, Construction and Electrical working together on building contracts and interior fitouts.

Within a Pillar

Creating synergy between businesses in the same pillar. Example

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

3

New Pillars

Branching into new fields. Example

Creating an Education Pillar with new offerings.

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.

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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

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. a better way to do something and always question how our businesses could be disrupted.

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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 customercentric 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


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

Connectivity Leader

Productivity Leader

Security Pillar Group

Locking Systems

Security Leader

Air Frames

security Leader

Wellness Leader

Defense Assembly Banking Facilities

Lifestyle Leader

Home Safes

Alarm Systems

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

Energy Leader

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.

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

3 Mastery

2 Usage

1 Awareness

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

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

Management 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.

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. 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.

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

Processes

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

Positions

Hierarchy and career progression gives ownership to Pillars implementation

Environments

Engaging spaces bring ideas to life.

Events

Events bring people together.

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Communication

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


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.

Pillars will require collaboration

Synergies come to life through the collaboration between teams with different perspectives and working styles

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

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.

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.

Choose Synergies Deliberately

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

Building a Network of Collaboration

Build off of past successful synergies to leverage good working relationships.

Retain Unique Identities

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

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 crossfunctional 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.

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Exploring the Changing World through Purpose Pillars

Suruchi Trivedi god re j Innovat io n & D es i g n C e nt r e

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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

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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.


“The exhibit was an eyeopener. 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.” Niki ta, Godrej Co nstr uc tio n

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-thebox. 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

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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

"The thinking at Godrej has been elevated to a new level and Godrejites need to sustain the momentum" B oa r d o f D i r ec to r s

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!

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

Nikunj & Jyoti Parekh

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.

The I n d o Japa n es e Ass o c iat io n

Bonsai Styles

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

Formal Upright

Informal Upright

Slanting

Cascade

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

In 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.

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

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Bonsai Basics Planning Your Bonsai

Wiring

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.

Once 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.

Pruning Pruning 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.

Potting & Care For 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 Cascade The 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 Grove

Clump

This is a group planting that resembles a forest or grove.

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

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.

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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

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Our only measure of excellence is excellence itself. 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


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, nonrigorous way. Use efficient processes and

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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.

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.

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 hemmant@godrej.com. 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.

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The Art & Science of Kaleidom 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 Shitole God re j Innovat io n & D es i g n C e nt r e

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

V i s i t o r Sp e ak

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

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

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. 56

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“It is important to take new ideas to new markets and to the people there.” Na v r o z e G o d r e j

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 Latur The 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

V i s i t o r Sp e ak

“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.”

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.

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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.

Kaleidom V 2.0 at Ahmedabad Na v r o z e ’ s Tak 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.”

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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


V i s i t o r Sp e ak

“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.”

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

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

V i s i t o r Sp e ak

“I will never forget my experience at Kaleidom.”

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.

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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 shariyarr Godrej A ppliances

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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

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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 Platinum Enthused 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.


Shirwal 1996

Shirwal 2014

Energy Efficiency In 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.

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. ta rg e t com pa ri son

Corporate Shirwal Plant Renewable Energy 30% by 2020

40% By 2016

Waste to Landfill Zero by 2020

Zero by 2016

energy consumption

Water Positive 2013-14

7.54 kwh Per Appliance

2004-05

17 kwh Per Appliance

By 2020

By 2015

Carbon Neutrality By 2020

By 2018

Reduction in SEC 20% by 2020

30% by 2020

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Rain water harvesting system for ground water recharge

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.

Water Conservation The 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 borewells 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.

W a t e r Co n s u m p t i o n

2013-14 2007-08

132 ltr Per Appliance

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84 ltr

Per Appliance


Using natural light to light up the spaces at day

Renewable Energy We 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.

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.

Co 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

2010-11

7% 2013-14

23%

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Inside the Shirwal manufacturing plant

Material Recycling 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.

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The 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

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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.


Green Supply Chain Our 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.

Reduction of consumption by critical suppliers

energy

11.8%

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 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.

water

10.2%

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.

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Yogacharya Surakshit Goswami

Yoga to drive Build and Strengthen Your Immunity

Kapalbhati

Agnisaar Kriya

Katichakrasana

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.

Stand 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.

Lie 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.

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away the blues It 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 lifeforce, 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.

Dhanurasana

Mandukasana

Bhramari Pranayama

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.

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.

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.

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Celebrating Dosabai Godrej Naoroji’s Birth Centenary Recognizing and felicitating good nursing

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.

Daisy Raj God re j Me m or i a l Hos p ita l

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

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

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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


Clinical Nursing Inpatient

Clinical Nursing Inpatient

Staff/Patient Management

Ward

C r itic a l C a r e

A d mi n i s t r a ti o n

Winner

Winner

Winner

Winner

Jincy Baby

Soumya Bernadits

Vasuki Janakiraman

Gracy Girgol Mascarenhas

R u n n e r Up

R u n n e r Up

C o mme n d a ti o n

C o mme n d a ti o n

Kalaiselvi B

Shilpa Rejo Thomas

Manisha Makarand Modi

Vineeth H

1,00,000 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 GodrejCrishna and Rishad Naoroji Above: One of the winners receiving the award from the

50,000

1,00,000

50,000

1,00,000

Education and Mentoring

1,00,000

25,000

25,000

members of the Godrej Family.

maintained.” After Mrs. Pawar’s thoughtprovoking 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 runnersups 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.

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T he

Winning Streak! Godrej Precision Engineering

Wins a Platinum! 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 representative Anand Bagdare and Prashant Borgaonkar receiving the Award.

GPE bagged this award in its first attempt.

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

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, CoChair, 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.

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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. �

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T he

Winning Streak!

A Marathon Run! Rajesh Surve P& 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.

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.” Da r a By r amj e e B usiness H ead, G S S

“We are happy that our work has been consistently recognized by the marketing and advertising fraternity for its creativity and effectiveness.” Me h e r n o s h P i t hawa lla H ead o f M arketing, G S S

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

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Winning Streak!

Godrej Security Solutions

Overcomes Constraints! 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

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Winning Streak!

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!

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mind meld the

Word Buff

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.

CLI MAT ECHAN GE FLOODI N G DROUGHT T EMPERAT URE CARB ON DI OXI DE GREEN GLOB ALWARMI N G GREEN HOUSEGAS POLLUT I ON CARB ON FOOT PRI N T SUSTAI N AB I LI T Y W EAT HER FOSSI LFUEL B I OFUEL EN V I RON MEN T RECYCLE REN EWAB LEEN ERGY EXT I N CT I ON MET HAN E B I ODI V ERSI T Y SEALEV EL

Sudoku

Count the Shapes

Number of Triangles ________

Number of Triangles ________

Number of Squares _________

Number of Rhombuses ______ Number of Hexagons ________

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@Hubble Hone 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

Courtesy - Therefore Design

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