Generation next takes charge at Godrej

Q: It has been almost fifteen years since you have joined the group and you have been part of operations here. How different is this place when you walked-in in 1993 and today?

A: Radically different, physically the place is the same green, Vikhroli that it is today and culturally also I think we hold many of the old values that we have. We strongly believe in integrity and trust. But I think we have clearly moved with if not ahead of the times. So, I think in terms of that we have radically changed.

Q: What to your mind is the biggest change because I know that your effort and your mission in that sense has been to make the brand more relevant to the generation today, but what to your mind has been the biggest change that you have brought about?

A: The biggest change that I have brought about in the last few years is one of - that all of us as a family not just me have brought to the table.

Q: When I spoke to your father last, he said my daughter has brought in emotional intelligence into the company and he said in terms of management styles, when the company apparently did a 360 degree evaluation, he came across facts saying that he wasn't a very good listener and he thinks that is how you are different that you are more open to feedback, you are good listener as opposed to him?

A: I think that is possibly correct but that was true. He has completely changed, he is leading the change in the company. So to speak in terms of personality, he is an extremely good listener now, he is always open to ideas and opportunity and I think we are like that now as an organization.

When you say that about me, perhaps I would count listening as one of my strong skills. I do feel that we have brought a little more perhaps EQ into the organization. But as an organization, I think we are very open, we are very consumer-centric, we want to innovate and deliver on our promise of brighter living to all our stakeholders today.

Q: Something that has been talked about for the last couple of years is the succession plan, I have talked to your father about it. We understand that a facilitator has now been brought into take it from transition mode to wherever it will eventually be. You have had three group chairmen in the Godrej history of 110 years, your father being one of them. The CEOs continue to be non-family members, so how is your role expected to change post the succession plan?

A: I think time evolves. For us, we are a highly professionalized company. We are very proud of the fact that we are very professionally run, all our companies have industry veterans as CEOs and we want to continue operating like that, we believe in that. So, we have a strong succession planning system in a whole professional organization. When you talk about family, I think succession planning comes within a broader family business governance fold and it is just one element of that. We are working with people, we are working as a family to set up structures and plans as to how our family should be governed in future and succession planning is one important part of that.

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