ACK-E-856-Naval Godrej

Naval Godrej : PIONEER OF PROGRESS

Naoroji ‘Naval’ Pirojsha Godrej followed in the illustrious footsteps of his uncle Ardeshir Burjorji Godrej, and father Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej to uphold the ideals of ‘Swadeshi’ and excellence in manufacturing. Naval was a self-taught engineer with an inquisitive and restless mind that enjoyed mechanical challenges. He joined the factory at age 17 and learned by working on the factory floor. He pioneered the development of the Machine Tool industry in India. 

He led the Godrej team in creating the first Indian-made typewriter, refrigerator and forklift trucks. He worked hard to realize his father’s dream of Pirojshanagar as an ideal garden-city. To his credit also is Godrej's successful foray into making crucial components for the Indian space programme. Naval Godrej was instrumental in setting up the Indian Machine Tools Association and established an international exhibition of machine tool manufacturers, IMTEX. As his uncle and father before him, Naval was also devoted to many philanthropic and charitable works.

125 years ago, Ardeshir Godrej, a young man of 29 years, set up a small factory in Lalbaug in Bombay to make locks - the first of its kind in India. This was the humble origin, of what today has become a trusted household name -'Godrej'. The story

y of the Godrej family is a tale of courage, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Naoroji 'Naval' Pirojsha Godrej followed in the illustrious footsteps of his uncle Ardeshir Burjorji Godrej, and father Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej to uphold the ideals of 'Swadeshi' and excellence in manufacturing. Naval was a self- taught engineer with an inquisitive and restless mind that enjoyed mechanical challenges. He joined the factory at age 17 and learned by working on the factory floor. He pioneered the development of the Machine Tool industry in India. He led the Godrej team in creating the first Indian-made typewriter, refrigerator and forklift trucks. He worked hard to realize his father's dream of Pirojshanagar as an ideal garden-city. To his credit also is Godrej's successful foray into making crucial components for the Indian space programme.
Naval Godrej was instrumental in setting up the Indian Machine Tools Association and established an international exhibition of machine tool manufacturers, IMTEX. As his uncle and father before him, Naval was also devoted to many philanthropic and charitable works.

Naval's philosophy of responsible corporate behaviour and worker's welfare was well ahead of his time. His soft-spoken, easy style of management and true devotion to the ideal of the larger Godrej family' will always be remembered and emulated by the generations that follow him.

​

• Title : Naval Godrej : PIONEER OF PROGRESS
• Volume/Serial : 856
• Total Pages : 36
• Script : English
• First Published : December 2022
• Publisher : Amar Chitra Katha