Adi Godrej

Adi Burjorji Godrej was born on 3 April 1942 and is an Indian industrialist and businessman, and head of the Godrej family, and chairman of the Godrej Group. Godrej received his undergraduate degree from HL college and his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, where he was a member of the Pi Lambda Phi fraternity and a member of Tau Beta Pi.

He modernized and systematized management structures and implemented process improvements. Adi Godrej took the Godrej Group to great height during the License Raj, and heads the group alongside his brother, Godrej Industries managing director and Godrej Agrovet chairman Nadir Godrej, and his cousin, Godrej & Boyce managing director and chairman Jamshyd Godrej.

He is the chairman of the Indian School of Business since April 2011. He was elected as the president of Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) for the year 2012-13.

After completing his graduation, Adi Godrej returned to India and joined the family business – The Godrej Group. The management had high expectations from him as he was the first business graduate to join the company.

The Godrej Group was started more than a century ago and since then it manufactured locks and vegetable based soaps which displaced many foreign brands.

The Godrej Group continued to function with an inflexible style of management which it followed under the controlled era of British rule, even after India's independence. Hence when Adi Godrej joined the group, he faced the challenge of modernizing the management structures and making them more flexible and systematic.

His efforts towards process improvements led to the progress and growth of the Godrej Group.

GODREJ GROUPEstablished in 1897, the Godrej Group has its roots in India's Swadeshi movement. Our founder, Ardeshir Godrej, lawyer-turned-serial entrepreneur failed with a few businesses, before he struck gold with the locks business that you know today. One of India’s most trusted brands, with revenues of USD 4.1 billion, Godrej enjoys the patronage of over 600 million Indians across our consumer goods, real estate, appliances, agri and many other businesses. You think of Godrej as such an integral part of India that you may be surprised to know that over 25 per cent of our business is done overseas.

The Godrej Group's Social Activities.

• It has built schools, dispensaries and a residential complex for their employees and their families.

• It has also established many Trusts and Foundations which invest in education, health care and upliftment of the underprivileged.

• It has built many green environs, nurseries and gardens which show its love for nature.

AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS

• As of 2015, he is the 405th richest person in the world with a net worth of US$4.0 billion.

• In April 2013 Godrej was awarded the Entrepreneur of the Year Award at The Asian Awards.

• He was awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third highest civilian award, in 2013.

• He was awarded the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in February 2013.