Narayanan releases Godrej stamp

MUMBAI, July 11: President K R Narayanan today released a special postage stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Godrej industrial group ...

MUMBAI, July 11: President K R Narayanan today released a special postage stamp to commemorate the centenary of the Godrej industrial group during his first visit to Mumbai as President of India.

The stamp, available in the denomination of Rs 3, features the group’s pioneers, Ardeshir and Phirojsha Godrej, against the backdrop of graphics depicting science, technology and entrepreneurship. Chairperson of the group, S P Godrej, said the postage stamp is an honour for the industrial house, whose roots lie deep in India’s freedom struggle and quest for self-reliance.

He said Godrej, which started manufacturing

locks in a small industrial shed in 1897, has grown to become one of the country’s highly diversified industrial houses.

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The group manufactures soaps and toiletries, storage and office equipment, furniture, typewriters, household appliances, precision engineering, information technology, agriculture, food and household insecticides, besides building the Vikas Engine for the country’s space programme,he added.

He said humanitarian concerns are always paramount at Godrej House. Ardeshir hated to be described as a `capitalist’ and he demonstrated through his life how money could be utilised for the right causes, Godrej recalled.

Maharashtra Governor Dr P C Alexander said Godrej is a unique industrial house which has always remained committed to certain values. “Economic power corrupts, but money could never make the Godrej family arrogant as the business competition never made them mean,” he said.

Citing an anecdote, Chief Minister Manohar Joshi said the 1944 dockyard blast had damaged a branch of the Union Bank of India. However, its currency, amounting to Rs 5.5 lakh, stored in a Godrej locker remained safe.