How Godrej helped India in its fight for freedom

For 117 years, Godrej has been sustaining lives and completing homes in India. With its range of products for consumers and industries, Godrej has been making Indians self-reliant-be it the iconic Godrej locks or the wardrobes that have evolved with time and with every generation.

Generations after generations trust Godrej for the quality the brand promises - quality that has become its legacy. For instance, the range of Hit mosquito/pest repellent sprays are present in every Indian household. Circa 1980s, it was the Godrej’s Good Knight mosquito coil and cards that dominated the scene. Godrej’s thoughtful innovations have been making everyday life brighter for every Indian – from inventing the first electric mosquito repellant to helping farmers to earn more from the first dual purpose cattle feed to the world’s most lowcost refrigerators – ChotuKool to providing engine parts to India’s successful moon mission Chandraayan.

The brand has resonated with changing aspirations of every Indian generation with continual innovations.

And while Godrej has been continuously working towards understanding an Indian consumer’s needs, it has also been contributing to the country’s freedom even before we achieved Independence!

The below timeline explains you how. Have a look:

1920: Freedom from religious constraints

Godrej was the first company to manufacture soap from vegetable oils instead of tallow. And what is tallow? Tallow was made out of animal fat and hence would offend religious sentiments. 1944: Freedom from fear of loss during natural disasters

It was only the Godrej safes that survived the Mumbai dockyards explosions of 14 April, 1944. All other equipment including British safes were decimated. And this rather surprising survival of the safes was due to a coating on the Godrej safes which is a unique exothermic powder coating that keeps your precious belongings safe irrespective of nature being at its worst. 1954: Freedom from dry and oily skin

Godrej helped the country fight various types of skin disease and flaunt healthier and natural looking skin. It was the first company to separate glycerin from vegetable oils and make soaps from the resultant fatty acids. This is now a patented process.

And an interesting fact is that, back then, glycerine was imported for defence and infrastructure purposes.

1980: Freedom from mosquitoes and malaria

Godrej gave India its first electric mosquito repellant, Good Knight - the most effective way to get rid of mosquitoes thus giving the freedom of sound sleep. 1987: Freedom from water wastage, freedom from skin harm/irritation

The company pioneered manufacturing of alpha olefin sulphate (AOS) from alpha olefin - a completely biodegradable chemical component. AOS is used as an active ingredient in detergent and unlike the prevailing ingredient LAB, it is an environment friendly component which also works with hard water and is mild on skin. With AOS being used detergents and soaps produce lesser lather thus reducing the amount of water used. Today, Godrej not only manufactures AOS but also trades it to other leading detergent manufacturers. 1994: Freedom to try the product without burning a hole in your pocket Godrej introduced the first ever sachet in India. Instead of a bottle, Godrej’s Expert Hair dye was launched in the market in a sachet format, reducing its price point from Rs 30 to Rs 7; thus making it affordable for many more Indians. To ensure that the efficacy of the hair dye was not compromised, the packaging was made absolutely air resistant. It has been a breakthrough of its own kind, offering consumers affordability and just the right quantity. 1994: Freedom from dependency on other countries to launch satellites for our progress

Godrej contributed to India’s space mission by developing ‘Vikas’ engine for the Polar Satellite Launch vehicle making the country self-reliant. From telecommunication, internet, geo-mapping, to entertainment, defense, weather, mining, Godrej brought in many consumer benefits with its contributions. 1995: Freedom from fear of losing valuables at home

Godrej introduced the ultra locking systems in India, a first for the locks industry. One in 2 billion locksdevelop by Godrej have the same code which make Godrej systems the safest way to keep your house locked and enjoy peace of mind. 2001: Freedom from waiting for ice cubes, freedom from uneven cooling

Godrej launched Pentacool refrigerators with revolutionary five-sided cooling. With its feature of providing cooling from all 5 sides, Pentacool offers faster cooling and keeps food fresh for a longer time and fastens the process of making ice. 2008: Freedom of being self-reliant, strong and the pride of being indigenous

Godrej completed its supply of BrahMos ground complex equipment, delivered for equipping first missile regiment of Indian Army. It also supplied engine parts for India’s first successful moon mission – Chandrayaan. 2009: Freedom from the fear of spoilt food, freedom from earthen pots

Godrej’s ChotuKool has been the most important innovation for the rural consumer. It is world’s first low-cost refrigerator developed for BOP (Bottom of the Pyramid) segment. A low-maintenance refrigerator which fits the budget and space and is portable enough to be carried anywhere. 2012: Freedom from messy and irritating process of mixing the concoctions

GCPL created the first pre-mixed hair colour in the market with Godrej expert Crème. Pre-measured sachets for easy use and exact dosage was Godrej’s innovation here. It gave us the freedom to experiment with colouring hair without the fear of getting it wrong. 2013: Freedom from mosquitoes for Re.1 for everywhere you go

The first ever BOP targeted mosquito repellant which does not involve the use of electricity – Good Knight fast card is a Godrej innovation. With no need of electricity, it offers quick action in three minutes and is so portable that it fits in one’s wallet.

And above is the cool video that sums up this timeline for you. Watch.

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