There is more to Adi B. Godrej, Chairman, The Godrej Group, than business. He is a man who has travelled to over 70 countries and is an adventure sports enthusiast. Godrej, as a brand, still touches lives of hundreds of millions of Indians everyday. To them it is a symbol of enduring trust and reliability in a changing world, an image that remains stable, thanks to Adi Godrej. Today 'Godrej' is a bridge between the future and a hundred years of history. In an economy restless to compete in the global markets Godrej remains a leader in its field. Godrej elaborates, "For us globalisation is beyond exports and imports. We have manufacturing facilities abroad in countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, South Africa and the U.K. We will globalise in select businesses where we have the global size and competitive advantage such as Office Equipment, Hair Care and Household Insecticide. 'Godrej' is an umbrella brand for us and we have decided to invest in long term brand accretion".

Adi Godrej has earned his reputation as a man who respects punctuality, who is impeccably organised with a table that is never cluttered like his mind and who is clear in thought, prompt in decision making "someone who is constantly open to feedback" as says his Secretary of 33 years. It is a pre requisite to add that Adi Godrej, doyen of the Godrej group, never stops learning. Consider this: Godrej has a pedigree which boasts of Pirojsha Godrej (the man who built the Godrej empire), Burjor Godrej (his father plus prime inspiration) and Naval Godrej (his business guru), but the man himself is finding new truths even from children, especially his grandsons. Also, it was his two daughters who helped him recognise the importance of new-age fundamentals like team bonding and managing emotions. In fact he is so open to learning that he, till date, picks up lessons from those around him. He says, "You can learn so much from the present generation and from your juniors. I must admit that it was my grandson who actually instilled the attribute of patience in me, which has helped me to perform significantly better at work."

The interior of the office reflects the man. The ambience is aesthetic and white, sans any garishness, the decor simple yet modern symbolising the makeover of the group post-liberalisation. Godrej swears by change, technology and growth in the global economy. He says, "The challenge of the future is to use our brand image and success, while simultaneously creating a modern, efficient, young and consumer-centric organisation which can create a momentum of growth in the future." But his motto - 'sales is vanity, profit is sanity and cash is reality' - remains unchanged. Godrej believes that every organisation needs to benchmark itself with global players. The company already receives 20 per cent of its revenue from operations outside India and aims to increase it to around 30 per cent over a 10-year period. The results of his hard work are showing in the Forbes' world's billionaires list of 2007 where he ranks 210 with his $4.1 billion fortune.

On people who inspire him, he rates former United Kingdom prime minister Margaret Thatcher, GE CEO Jack Welch and industrialists JRD Tata and Dhirubhai Ambani. The writings of Welch have greatly appealed to Godrej. "I was lucky to know the man and see the manner in which he managed GE. Apart from him, Margaret Thatcher awed me by the way she changed the face of Britain. On the Indian scene, JRD Tata was an institution in himself who I admired tremendously, while Dhirubhai Ambani, who was also my neighbour, left a lasting impression on me." To add another facet to a multi-faceted personality, Godrej is also a sports enthusiast, albeit with a difference. Although he likes to watch group sports like cricket or football he is mostly into adventure sports. Water sports, wind surfing, water skiing with the family, especially in the Mumbai shores, is for him a much-needed break. If not that, it would be bridge. Other passions with him were paragliding and riding and though "there is no place like home", with operations spread over 50 countries worldwide travel naturally plays a major role in Godrej's life.

He travels most often to Europe, America and Far East. If time permits, he enjoys exploring surrounding regions and cities and intriguingly, likes to do it on foot. "If I am on business and have a weekend free, I just walk around new destinations. It is something I enjoy doing. My passion for travel has taken me to around 70 odd countries. I have made friends in various nations, understood many new cultures and experimented with numerous cuisines." But for him, the biggest thrill is still in the office in Mumbai. "I look forward to the challenge of yet another Monday morning at work. I enjoy every day spent here," says Godrej.

He believes that his team, his people, through their passion, initiative, creativity and a compelling desire to improve and win in the marketplace are his biggest asset. He has implemented a strong Performance Improvement Process to reward people who set stretch goals and deliver exemplary performance. The Group has also undertaken a coaching initiative to enhance individual performance and harness organisational talent. "I myself get exposed to at least 30 days of educative training in a year. Our teams are consistently exposed to cutting edge management thinkers. For us management, thinking is soft technology" says Godrej. Never a man to waste precious time, he has chalked out concrete three year rolling plans to successfully compete with MNCs in India and abroad. "We have made large investments in R&D. An ERP system, MFG-PRO earlier and now SAP is used efficiently which integrates our suppliers, customers and distributors. It helps us tremendously to remain competitive. Several E-business initiatives, both B2B and B2C have been implemented. The Internet will be an important productivity improvement tool", he adds firmly. The Group has undertaken major organisational and financial restructuring in order to provide a competitive edge to all the strategic business units in the group. Many of the group companies use the Economic Value Added concept for performance measurement and variable remuneration plans.

The Economic Times Award for Corporate Citizen of the Year recognized the Godrej Group's contribution to education, environment, hospitals, population control, and culture and heritage conservation. The Award was rightfully given to the Godrej Group for building a tradition of corporate social responsibility based on a foundation of philanthropy, and an enduring commitment to live by a credo of service to the community. During the last few decades, the major trusts associated with the Group The Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, The Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation, and The Godrej Memorial Trust have made major contributions to social, environmental, and educational causes. In many cases employees have been enthusiastic participants in bolstering the Group's philanthropic efforts.