Naval Godrej

Much importance has been given to the country’s industrialisation even before freedom was won (1947), but credit must be given to Naval for taking the initiative in manufacturing machine tools nearly a decade earlier. The opportunity came during the war years when the machines required by Godrej could no longer be imported. Naval rose to the challenge and in the 1940s, he created a path-breaking line of machines including the first 35 tonne power press. He also pioneered the indigenous manufacture of machine tools & metal forming and machine cutting machines.

Before Naval’s efforts, typewriters had never been made anywhere in Asia. Typewriter manufacturing required highly specialised machinery and deft workmanship. Even though Naval conceived the idea of typewriter manufacture as early as 1946, production started only in the early 1950s due to raw material restrictions and wartime considerations. The first all-Indian typewriter was introduced in 1955. However, mastering the manufacture of typewriters was no easy task. It took several models before Naval was satisfied with the soft touch of the keys – a feature that made the typist’s job easier. In so much, the success of Godrej typewriters led to foreign competition downing their shutters in Indi(c)

Having been the first to make typewriters, Naval was keen to help Indian households access other modern conveniences. After overcoming many teething problems, Godrej was successful in producing the first 230 Volt Model 9 refrigerator, having a capacity of 7.3 cubic feet, in 1958. For more than a decade, several different models were introduced. In 1962, Godrej, which had been using the imported GEC compressor unit, began manufacturing hermetically sealed compressors in India.

With his experience in manufacturing the largest number of sheet-metal machines, Naval was the obvious choice to guide the Indian Machine Tools Manufacturing Association (IMTMA) through its formative years. When Naval became its President (1971-1973), he established the pioneering International Machine Tool Exhibition known as IMTEX. Naval not only donated the land for the purpose of hosting the exhibition but was involved in every aspect of its planning, projection and execution. The first exhibition was held in 1965 with ten exhibitors while the last one (1989) in his lifetime had 400 participants. The 50th edition of IMTEX is slated to be held in two years from now.

For Godrej, as for India, the 50s and 60s were a period of transformation –where Godrej not only introduced new products locally but was keen to tap global markets. Among the new products that were added to the Godrej portfolio during this phase, were forklift trucks. With production beginning in 1961, forklift trucks of 2.25 tonne capacity were ready to be marketed by 1963. The first major breakthrough came in 1977 when Godrej bagged the first export order for forklift trucks from Russia with Naval himself signing the agreement.

The Process Equipment Division (PED) for fabricating equipment for process industries was established in 1976. With the expertise of the tool room and Naval’s support, PED actively began considering the idea of venturing into the space arena. In 1986, PED got its first order to manufacture satellite components from ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation). This order lead to the establishment of the Precision Components Group (PCG) that was then solely dedicated to the manufacture and design of satellite components. The following year, Godrej received the first order for the Dummy Motor Casing for PSLV. The success of the project led to the creation of a dedicated business unit, Godrej Aerospace, that began the fabrication and supply of the Vikas Engines in its entirety. The first delivery of the Vikas engine was done in 1994. Since then Godrej Aerospace has regularly and successfully supplied mission-critical components for ISRO’s ambitious, indigenous space programme. Later, once we have the facts, we must include the point about taking on foreign competition and beating the global majors.

Naval was deeply involved in the conceptualization and development of the Godrej Industrial Garden Township at Vikhroli in Mumbai, Maharashtra. Instead of taking the easy way out and getting an established contractor, Pirojsha Godrej decided to entrust the entire work to Naval. Initially confined to planning, by 1972 Naval was involved in the total execution of the project.

Emphasis was laid on the adoption of quality systems from residential construction and industrial to infrastructure, gardens and forestry. Right from its inception, Naval laid down an ‘Environmental Policy’ that governed all aspects of construction, waste management and landscaping. In the attention they gave to environmental concerns, Godrej was well ahead of other industries at that time. As regards housing for workers, Naval would sit with architects himself and look into even the smallest of points such as adequate cross ventilation.

Nearly 1,800 acres of land are preserved mangrove swamps managed by the Soonbai Pirojsha Godrej trust. The elegantly laid out Pirojshahnagar is today as much a garden as an industrial township and incorporates many facilities for workers and families such as the Udayachal Schools among others.

Naval joined the Parsi Punchayat in February 1985. Naval was convinced that with the sizeable resources at its disposal, the Punchayat could do much more for the Parsi community. Housing, education and the upliftment of Mobeds (priests) were of prime importance to him as was the growing rate of unemployment. One outcome of Naval’s joining the Parsi Punchayat was the community managed to get a Godrej Baug at Peddar Road, Mumbai which fulfilled one of the community’s most dire need - housing.