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Our dear Jamshyd,
The President of India has found it befitting to honour you with the Award of Padma Bhushan, for your distinguished service of a high order in the field of trade and economic activity. On this occasion, we salute you, and pray that under your dynamic leadership, the Company may achieve greater heights in the years to come.
Our love and prayers are with you.

Members of the GMC of Godrej
	PD Lam	KA Palia	EJ Kalwachia
	IP Singh	KG Shukla	Anil Verma
	Anil Mathur	DE Byramjee	BK Rajkumar
	Rajiv Jhangiani	BN Doongaji	AM Visvanathan
	DK Sharma	NB Poddar	AB Antao
	SM Vaidya	HN Khumbatta	MH Engineer
	HN Daruwalla	SN Irani	AN Choksey
	GV Sampat	SF Ayem	P. Kapoor

Mr. Dhruv Sharma welcoming Mr. J. N. Godrej at Delhi before Mr. Godrej’s address to the Delhi parivaar.

On 14 December 2002 we had the privilege of welcoming Mr. Jamshyd Godrej and showing him around at the Asaf Ali Road showroom and Godrej Bhavan premises at Okhla.

The Asaf Ali Road showroom has been renovated with professional help from a visual merchandiser. The showroom, with its completely new looks, arrangement of products and innovative use of lights and colours has been drawing positive feedback from customers and dealers alike.

Mr. Dhruv Sharma explaining the finer points behind the visual merchandiser’s activities.

After seeing the showroom, Mr. Godrej visited the Okhla premises. He saw all the offices and divisions operating from there, such as the three Branches (Delhi, Ghaziabad and Faridabad), Warehouse, Charitable Dispensary, Goodyear premises, etc. He also reviewed briefly the performance of North Zone, particularly the various Branches and Divisions.

Mr. Godrej addressed all employees of Godrej & Boyce (G&B), including those of Godrej Infotech Ltd. (GIL) and Godrej Appliances Ltd. (GAL). He spoke on the need to quickly adapt to the changing environment and circumstances around us and also hoped that the merger of GAL and G&B would happen smoothly and fast.

The Head of the parivaar sharing his vision with the Delhi members of his parivaar.

Mr. Godrej was informed of the extremely demanding and aggressive marketplace and how the young team, particularly the frontline, was working innovatively and stretching to its fullest in meeting the ever-changing customer expectations. The entire team was thrilled and motivated to see the Head of the parivar amongst them and all of us look forward to his next visit.

A Co-operative customer meet was held at the International Hotel, Kochi on 30 November, 2002. Erna-kulam District has been selected as one of the districts in Kerala for infrastructure development under the Integrated Co-operative Development Programme (ICDP). Presidents and Secretaries of the 185 Service Co-operative Banks were invited for the customer meet. The response was overwhelming and about 220 people attended the meet.

Mr. Surendranathan, General Manager, ICDP, Ernakulam, addressing the gathering.
Also seen are Mr. Gils Paul, Joint Registrar of Companies and Venugopal.

G. Venugopal, Branch Manager, welcomed the gathering. Mr. Surendranathan, General Manager, ICDP, Ernakulam and Mr. Gils Paul, Joint Registrar, Co-operatives, Government of Kerala were the Guests of Honour. In his brief address, Surendranathan thanked Godrej for having organised the customer meet, which also happened to be his first official function after being appointed General Manager, ICDP. Gils Paul spoke about the need for the Co-operative Sector and companies such as Godrej to work together to ensure that the benefits of ICDP are passed on to the public.

A short presentation was made by the Security, Furniture and Storwel Business Groups keeping in mind the requirements of the Co-operative Sector. The opportunity was also used to introduce the Company’s new products of all the three product groups to the Co-operative Sector.

M/s. Nariman Sales & Services, our Aurangabad Wholesale Dealer, celebrated 40 years of fruitful business partnership with Godrej by organising a Bankers Meet at Taj Residency, Aurangabad on 16 December, 2002.

Forty leading bankers, including General Managers of various nationalised banks and chairmen of various cooperative banks from Aurangabad, Jalna, Nanded, Beed and Parbhani, Buldhana districts, participated in the Meet.

Pourusasp Pavri, Sr. Sales Officer, Security Equipment Division Maharashtra Branch,
demonstrating the Godrej Currency Counting Machine at the Bankers Meet
at Taj Residency, Aurangabad on 16 December, 2002.

The inaugural speech was delivered by F. K. Khapoliwalla, General Manager (West and East), who stressed on Godrej’s 100 years of association with the banking community and the shift from Physical Security Products to Electronic Security Products. He also spoke about the Security Threats faced by the banking community and the solutions available. The occasion was also graced by Ravi Bhat, Branch Manager, Maharashtra Branch.

The entire range of Godrej Security Equipment products as also that of Godrej Secure Home products was on display. The Note Banding Machine, which was introduced to Bankers, generated quite a few enquiries.

The above Meet was possible due to the planned and systematic efforts of Branch personnel, Pourusasp Pavri, Sr. Sales Officer and Inayat Khan Pathan, Service Executive.

Jamshedpur Branch organised a training programme for Wholesale Dealer technicians at the Godrej Warehouse, Adityapur, Jamshedpur, from 28th to 30th November, 2002.

Training, both theoretical and practical, was imparted on Storwel, Furniture, Security and Storage Solution products. Special emphasis was laid on the Company’s latest products such as i-Space, Recliner Sofas, Alpina Sofas, Reviera Sofas, Slim Line Storwel, Net Chairs, Tables T-1070 and T 1071, etc. Ashok Shellar (Head Office ?Furniture) acquainted technicians with new skills.

A Quiz was conducted and winners rewarded. This training programme will surely go a long way in satisfying customers better.

A Furniture Show was held at M/s. N.K. Jain Showroom (Godrej dealer) at Ranchi, the biggest market of Jamshedpur Branch, from 19th to 21st December, 2002.

Around 250 cards were distributed to important customers personally inviting them to attend this Show. Advertisements were released in newspapers, a Press Meet organised and the media briefed about our new range of products.

The following range of products were displayed:
Storwel: Slim Line, Sofas, Beds, Wardrobes, Bookcases, etc.
Furniture: Senate, Net Chairs, Mozaic, New Computer Chairs, Tables, etc.
Security: Banding Machine, CCM, Alarm System, etc.
Storage Solution: Compactor, Racks, etc.

Wholesale Dealers and staff members of Jamshedpur Branch who participated in
the Wholesale Dealers Meet at Hotel Regent, Jamshedpur on 18 January, 2003.

There was a Wholesale Dealers Meet at Hotel Regent, Jamshedpur on 18 January, 2003 organised by Jamshedpur Branch. The Branch displayed some of the Company’s new products such as dining table, sofa, bed, centrepiece, net chair, Eden and Maya chairs, computer furniture, etc.

Feedback was given to dealers after reviewing their performances. The innovative Storwel scheme giving a cash discount up to Rs. 1,000 to consumers as also a scratch card with discounts or prizes worth Rs. 1,00,000 in the form of Godrej products, was discussed with dealers. A Press Meet was organised where B.P. Chinoy, Regional Manager ?East briefed the media on the Company’s new products. Godrej received good mileage in newspapers and local television news channels.

B.P. Chinoy, Regional Manager ?East (right) presenting the Godrej Gold Coin to Wholesale Dealer Pradeep Jain of M/s. N.K. Jain, Ranchi (left). Bibhash Biswas, Branch Manager, Jamshedpur Branch is seen in the centre.

Also, Wholesale Dealer Pradeep Jain of M/s. N.K. Jain, Ranchi was awarded a Godrej Gold Coin on winning the Best Showroom Display contest.

India International Trade Fair, one of the largest exhibitions in Asia, is organised by India Trade Promotion Organisation every year at Pragati Maidan, New Delhi. The Trade Fair, held from 14th to 27th November, 2002, showcased India’s achievements in Tourism, Health, Environment, Agricultural Products, Processed Food, Information Technology, Telecommunication, Infrastructure, Services Sector and Industry. The Trade Fair was divided into many pavilions and was visited by over 5 lakh visitors.

Locks Division (Delhi Branch) had a spacious stall in the Furniture Furnishings and Decorative section. This section contained various products and exhibitors related to interior design and furnishings, including furniture, manufactured doors, products related to interiors, etc.

Atul Tripathi, Regional Manager (North Zone) resolving customer queries
at the India International Trade Fair 2002.

Four distributors: M/s. AMS Enterprises, Batra Associates, Arora Paints & Agarwal H/w and Sanitary Store participated in this Fair. The distributors suggested increasing the frequency of such exhibitions to create greater awareness among the people.

Both Locks and Fiskars sales team & distributors worked in tandem to make this exhibition a great success.

It was an unforgettable trip for the East Zone Locks Division and its distributors.

A Distributors Meet was organised by the East Zone Locks Division team on 4 and 5 December, 2002, aboard the luxurious vessel, MV Chitralekha. The team discussed business with elite distributors of the Zone while cruising day and night along the distributaries of the world’s largest delta, the Sunderbans.

B.K. Rajkumar, Locks Division Head, presenting mementos and gifts to Gurmeet Singh, Janata Sales Depot, Sambalpur and Soumitro Ghosh, Teemark Combines, Howrah, at the Distributors Meet on 4 and 5 December, 2002.

The Locks team made a comprehensive presentation on the current market scenario, the new products as also the marketing initiatives. B.K. Rajkumar, Divisional Head and Kartik Modi, General Manager (Sales and Marketing) stressed the need for distributors to keep business commitments. The Distributors agreed to put in their best efforts to meet the sales objectives of the Company.

Some time was also spent in observing the flora and fauna of the Sunderbans, famous for the Royal Bengal tiger.

Locks Division (Kolkata Branch) organised a unique Craft Competition for special children on 12 December, 2002 at Ranchi. About 50 physically challenged children of Deepshikha, a school for disabled and mentally challenged children, participated in the handicraft competition. This school, run by dedicated teachers, does its best to help the children fulfil their dreams and inculcate creativity through various activities.

The children showed great enthusiasm and zest in using their creative skills. Students were divided into six groups according to their age and mental capacities. Participants used Fiskars scissors to prepare folders, toys, jute articles, puppets, etc. The children were encouraged to make beautiful handicrafts using our scissors.

Presenjit Dey, Sr. Sales Officer, Kolkata Branch giving away prizes to the physically challenged children of Deepshikha School. Seen in the background are distributor salesmen, Kolkata Branch personnel and teachers and staff of Deepshikha.

The event was sponsored in association with our oldest distributor, P.K. Jain of M/s. Nirmal Kumar Jain, Ranchi. The best three candidates were judged by our Company personnel. However, prizes and certificates of participation were given to all students.

The company presented the children with specially designed “Fiskars? a set of knives and scissors as mementos. The event received good mileage in leading newspapers.

The children and staff of Deepshikha were overjoyed as it was for the first time that a corporate had come forward and tried to make a small difference in their lives.

This unique event not only helped in the promotion of our range of knives and scissors, but also earned us a good name in Ranchi for the social cause attached to it.

In order to facilitate direct interaction with customers and increase visibility in the field, attractive selling booths, named “Instabooths? have been provided to the sales personnel of Locks Division.

They prominently bear the Godrej Locks and Ultra Locks logos and baselines on all sides and have been made in the characteristic red-and-blue brand colours. They have been made in two sizes to take care of the constraints of space that would occur in the field. The Instabooths are being put to use in various parts of the country for road shows, street-selling as well as to address key groups like retailers and carpenters.

One such attractively designed, in-house selling booth has been set up at Old Madras Road, Bangalore, on 21 December, 2002.

The Flat Owners Associations in this locality were happy to have such a show conducted in their area. With their consensus, the Locks Division (Bangalore Branch) put brochures on notice boards and intimated the President/Secretary of each association. The Association President, V.S. Jayaraman, visited our stall and also appreciated the 24 hours help line facility. The response of people visiting the Instabooth was noteworthy.

Locks Division (Chennai Branch) also conducted a special display and sales activity at E.Purshottam one of the biggest retailers in Coimbatore from 21st to 25th November, 2002 using the Instabooth. Our entire product range, including premium locks, was displayed. Similar activity was undertaken at two other retailer premises and two apartments in Coimbatore in December 2002. The retailers were very happy about this new selling concept through Instabooths.

A new visibility aid has been conceived and executed by the Locks Division. It is in the shape of the Ultra key, which is part of the hi-technology Ultra range of locks and has been christened the “Ultra Standee? The idea behind this is to exploit the fantastic recall of the distinct “Computerised Chaabi? that the earlier Ultra Locks television commercials were able to create.

Due to these reasons, a fabricated cutout of the key, five feet in height and two-and-half feet in width, has been designed with some significant messages like “Free Installation? ?5 Years Guarantee?and “India’s First Unpickable Locking System? Five important locks have also been put on its face. It has been decided to put up the Standees at premium counters across the country.

Locks Division (Ahmedabad Branch) conducted two Carpenter Meets at Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar.

Kiritbhai of Satnam Plywood (Retailer, Ahmedabad) explaining the Tribolt Lock to a carpenter at the Carpenters Meet at Ahmedabad. Kedar Shukla, Sr. Sales Officer, Ahmedabad Branch is seen peeping.

The first Meet was organised in Bhavnagar on 21 December, 2002 through our local distributor, M/s. P.M. Shah & Brothers wherein about 75 carpenters participated. The second Meet was held on 27 December, 2002. About 200 carpenters attended this programme through M/s. Raj Corporation.

“Instabooth? an attractive selling booth developed in-house by Locks, was used to display our entire product range. Product features were explained and demonstrations given on product installations.

Kedar Shukla (second from right), Sr. Sales Officer, Ahmedabad Branch along with distributors at the Carpenters Meet in Bhavnagar.

Both the Meets were highly appreciated by carpenters as it helped them resolve product and installation queries.

Locks Division, Ahmedabad Branch, participated in the Inside Outside Mega Show held on the AES Ground at Ahmedabad from 2nd to 5th January, 2003.

The stall was designed with the support of our local dealers M/s. Raj Corportion, K. Sons and Sheel Marketing as also the Ahmedabad Branch sales team. Products were displayed on the newly designed display stands with focus on Ultra and other new products such as Multi point rim lock, E-lock, 4 bolt rim lock and Multi point mortise lock, which were the main attraction. Visitors were educated on the operation of these products.

Our sales team, along with distributors and their sales personnel, attended to each and every customer’s queries, giving inputs on selection of appropriate locks for different doors. The response was very encouraging.

Bangalore:
Locks Division (Bangalore Branch) conducted a Road Show in Bangalore at three places viz. Ashward Party Hall at Jayanagar, Chowdeshwari Hall at Vijaynagar and East Cultural Association at Indiranagar from 28th to 30th December, 2002. Our complete range of products, including all new Locks and Fiskars were displayed at the three venues. More than 2,000 people attended the Road Shows. There was good response for main door locks, especially the Ultra range.

R. Jayant, Sr. Sales Officer, Bangalore Branch, attending to visitors at the Road Show in Bangalore.

Belgaum:
The Show was held at Hotel Aadarsh Palace, Belgaum, from 14th to 16th December, 2002 and was inaugurated by Panduranga Rane, Additional Superintendent of Police, Belgaum. Padmanayan, Additional Superintendent of Police, Lokayukth, Hemanth Kalghatgi, Secretary, Indian Institute of Architects, Belgaum Chapter, were present for the Road Show. Advertisements about the Road Show were given in the local dailies and on television channels to attract public attention. During the Show, all our products were displayed in the “Instabooth? which was a major attraction.

Panduranga Rane, Additional Superintendent of Police, Belgaum and Padmanayan, Additional Superintendent of Police, Lokayukth at the Road Show in Belgaum.

The response was quite good and approximately 400 people from different walks of life visited the stall. Mementos were presented to VIPs, key retailers, architects and builders.

Locks Division (Maharashtra Branch) conducted two Retailer Meets on 18 January, 2002 at Vashi and on 24 December, 2002 at Thane. The Meet at Vashi was organised through our Distributor M/s. Rajpal & Sons wherein 125 retailers participated. In the Thane Retailer Meet, about 110 retailers of M/s. Jai Maharashtra Trading attended the programme.

The entire range of products was displayed on our newly designed display stands in the ‘Instabooth? ‘Ultra Standee,?an eye-catching Ultra key Cutout, was a strong attraction.

Paresh, Retailer of Pyari Hardware, sitting proudly on his new Bajaj Boxer (first prize) that he won at the Channel Meet at Thane. On his left is B.K. Rajkumar, Business Head, Locks Division. Seen in the background are Locks sales and distributor personnel.

Prizes were distributed to the retailers who qualified for the scheme that operated during the period June 2002 to November 2002. The top three winners were awarded Bajaj bikes and scooters. Cash prizes were given to top retailers lifting the maximum coupons. The scheme was a gala success in sales as well as brand building. Retailers were overjoyed participating in the scheme and attending the function.

Anand Mishra, Institutional Sales Officer, New Delhi Branch and Uttam Chib, Distributor,
M/s. U.B. Enterprises, at the Mega Mat Expo 2003 in Jammu.

Godrej Locks (Chandigarh Branch) participated in the “Mega Mat Expo 2003,?a Building and Architect Expo organised by the Association of Architects and Builders in Jammu from 16th to 19th January, 2003. The main objective of the Expo was to bring together builders and architects.

The sales team, along with our dealer M/s. U.B. Enterprises, set up and designed the stall. Our entire product range was displayed with the Ultra Standee, display stands and danglers.

The response to the event was good, with architects, civil engineers and builders enquiring about our range. Many prominent hardware retailers in Jammu also visited the stall.

The Expo boosted the Company’s image and increased product awareness among builders, architects, retailers and other visitors.

The Godrej Seating and Desking range on display during the
Architects and Customers Meet at Hotel Aroma, Chandigarh.

Chandigarh Branch organised an Architects and Customers Meet at Hotel Aroma, Chandigarh from 13th to 15th December, 2002. This is the first time the Branch has segregated the Architects Meet from key accounts. The first day, which was dedicated exclusively to 85 major architects of the city, was marked by a technical discussion with Marketing Managers Ravi Menon and Vivek Sthalekar, Furniture Division, followed by dinner.

The products displayed in Furniture comprised the new range in Seating and Desking (Numero Uno, Viva, Connoisseur, Conference Table, etc.), which was well appreciated, as also the entire range of Chairs. Two low cost Slimline mockups were also displayed.

Enquiries worth Rs. 30 lakhs have been generated from the Meet, which will go a long way in further strengthening our relations with architects.

Anand Mela is a get-together of the Godrej Parivar to have a memorable evening. Although the concept is old, the theme and approach of this year’s Mela on 14 December, 2002 were definitely unique.

Residents of the Godrej Pirojshanagar Colony seem delighted with the response to their stalls.

The Mela was inaugurated by senior citizens of all the three colonies viz. Station Side, Creek Side and Hill Side, along with students of the Udayachal Pre-Primary School.

Over 2,000 people visited 60 stalls, most of them comprising eatables and games. There were a few stalls displaying dress materials, gems, imitation jewellery, bamboo products from interior villages, etc. Divisions like Appliances, Locks, Storwel, Security Equipment and Industrial Products along with Godrej subsidiary companies like Fiskars, Godrej Industries and Consumer Products displayed their products. Even our Garden Department did not miss this opportunity of displaying their products.

This was the first time that games ranging from ‘musical chairs?to ‘bombing the city?were organised not only for kids, but also for adults. A raffle-draw, organised by the Pragati Kendra, was a great success. We are grateful to the following Godrej Divisions / Departments who sponsored prizes / gifts for this Mela:

Godrej Appliances sponsored the first prize, a Washing Machine.
Storwel Division sponsored the second prize, a Minor Cupboard.
Security Equipment Division also sponsored the second prize, a Safe.
Office Equipment Division sponsored the third prize, two Computer Workstations.
The Tool Room sponsored three Gift Vouchers worth Rs. 2,000/-.
Locks Division sponsored five consolation prizes of Godrej Ultra Locks.

We are thankful to the Godrej Construction Department, E&E Services, Housing Department and the Security Department for their resources and infrastructure. We are also thankful to all our core group members, G. R. Dastoor, Vaishali Raj, Susmita Singh, Pravin Panchal, A. B. Chhichhia, Zareer Bhardha, K. S. Jhony, Bhingade, Ashok Palande as well as Binaifer Chhoga and Evangeline Ranjan, Principals of Udayachal Pre-Primary and High Schools respectively, and all those who have gone out of their way to help the Kendra in organising such a wonderful event. Last but not the least, our thanks to all people who had put up their stalls as well as those who visited them and made the Anand Mela a grand success.

E&E Services, amongst its other activities, has been rigorously pursuing Energy Conservation in Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. (G&B) and Godrej Appliances Ltd. (GAL) for the last many years. We have made significant achievements in many areas with implementation of a number of innovative methods and innovative technologies in ENCON.

In December 2002, Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII’s) Bi-annual Energy Summit was organised at the Taj Coromondel, Chennai, wherein over 200 industries participated to be recognised as the “Most Energy Efficient Unit? Out of these 200 participants, 28 organisations were shortlisted to make a final presentation to the panel of judges, which comprised 20 eminent technocrats from various industries viz. engineering, cement, textile, process, fabrication, foundry, forging, petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, etc.

Each organisation was permitted to make a presentation for 30 minutes, out of which 20 minutes were for presentation and 10 minutes for questions and answers. Only the judges were permitted to ask questions and not the fellow participants. If the presentation goes beyond 20 minutes, the organisation would get negative points.

Shri H. N. Daruwalla, Vice-President E&E Services, receiving the Award for “Excellent Energy Efficient Unit?from the energy minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri Nainar Nagendran, with Mr. Jayaraman ?Chairman Energy Summit 2002, Mr. Gyanadesikan, Chairman TNSEB, Mr. Narasimhan-Chairman Brakes India, Mr. K. T. Kannan ?Chairman CII, Southern Region and Mr. R. P. Engineer looking on.

Each organisation was to be represented by a senior executive, accompanied by a Encon Manager or a Maintenance Manager.

Godrej was represented by Rumi Engineer (present Encon Manager), K. C. Pande (past Encon Manager) and myself.

Godrej & Boyce was recognised along with other 10 organisations as an “EXCELLENT ENERGY EFFICIENT UNIT?in the country.

Also, from amongst 28 participants, G&B’s presentation (together with other two) was found to be the “MOST USEFUL PRESENTATION?in a sense that the ideas and concepts put forward could be duplicated by other industries in a most profitable manner.

Prizes were distributed by the Hon’ble Energy Minister of Tamil Nadu, Mr. Nainar Nagendran, together with CII Executives from the Energy Management Centre and the panel of judges headed by Mr. Jayaraman.

Rohinton Darra Contractor (centre) being awarded the Certificate of Life Fellowship by A.S. Navadikar, National President, IIMM. Applauding on Contractor’s left is B.V. Iyer, Chairman, IIMM, Mumbai Branch.

Rohinton Darra Contractor, Sr. General Manager, Corporate Procurement has been selected as Life Fellow Member of the Indian Institute of Materials Management (IIMM). He now holds pride of place in a select family of Fellow Members who have excelled in the profession of Materials Management.

Contractor is a Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary and joined Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. as Management Trainee, Corporate Services, in 1988. His current job profile comprises procurement of Capital Goods, Imports Procurement, Export Documentation and Processing, International Finance and Foreign Exchange Risk Management, Customs and FEMA Laws and Procedures.

Creative Streak

Pravin Sawant (Roll No. S85), Packing Department and Pradeep Nivkar (Roll No. N73), Maintenance Department, deserve special mention. Apart from being efficient employees, they have a creative streak in decorations, always contributing to practically all Company functions. The photograph above shows them decorating the Godrej Safety Triangle with flowers.

L-R: Praveen Panchal, E.J. Kalwachia, Executive Director, Nanchand Panchal, Jamshyd Godrej, Chairman & Managing Director, Pheroza Godrej, S.F. Ayem, Sr. General Manager, Personnel & Administration, Gulabbhai Panchal and Natvarbhai Panchal.

Congratulations! The Vikhroli police station has awarded the Pirojshanagar Sarvajanik Navratri Utsav Samiti (Creek Side) the second prize: a trophy and certificate for being the second most disciplined Navratri Utsav (festival) mandal. The President of this mandal is Gulabbhai Panchal and the General Secretary is Nanchand Panchal.

Children of Pirojshanagar assembled on the 8th day of Navratri Utsav
to pay homage to the deity, Amba maata.

The Pirojshanagar Sarvajanik Navratri Utsav Samiti (Creek Side), which is in the vicinity of the Vikhroli police station, celebrated the 2002 Navratri Utsav peacefully. In order to increase National Unity, the residents of Pirojshanagar participated peacefully, with discipline, abiding with all the rules and regulations. They increased communal harmony in society by spreading love and co-operating with each other.

Meenal Bhide, daughter of S.M. Bhide (Corporate HRD), secured a second position in gaining a Diploma in Central Excise & Customs. The examination is conducted by TVC Institute of Management, Mumbai, and is a prerequisite for becoming a qualified practitioner in Excise & Customs.

The convocation was graced by the Commissioner of Excise & Customs, Mumbai, who presented the Diploma Certificates to successful candidates in a glittering ceremony at the Indian Merchants?Chamber, Mumbai, on 10 January, 2003. Meenal is currently pursuing her Masters in Management Studies from the Fr. C.R. Institute of Management, Vashi.
This is a much sought after Diploma by professionals from different industries and clearing houses.

Matter Of Pride

It is indeed a matter of great pride that Nilesh Tanksalkar, son of Bhalchandra Tanksalkar (Precision Engineering Systems, Quality Assurance Department, Plant ?9) has been selected for Officer Training in the Naval Wing of the Indian Defence Forces at the National Defence Academy (NDA), Khadakvasla, near Pune.

The Defence Ministry selected 335 cadets this year throughout the country to join the Army, Navy and Air Force. Nilesh ranked 153rd in the common merit list and 15th in the list of Navy cadets.

It is noteworthy to mention that unlike other students who take up professions such as engineering, medical, etc., after passing his SYJC in the Science field, Nilesh chose a career in Defence.

How would you react if a customer were to say, “Godrej? Where is Godrej? In which country is it located??When I heard of this for the first time from a customer at Nairobi, Kenya, I was shocked for a moment. However, I recomposed myself. I was taught that the customer comes first. I took it upon myself to describe Godrej to my customers. When the customer was satisfied, I felt like a real ambassador representing Godrej.

I am in Nairobi, promoting Godrej Security Equipment products such as safes, safe deposit lockers, data safes, etc. Kenya is situated in East Africa with a total population of about 30 million people. It has 42 tribes; each tribe has its own language, customer traditions. Though the majority of the people have accepted various Christian denominations, they still identify themselves with their respective tribes. The Kikuyu tribe constitutes the majority with 35 per cent, followed by the Luhya tribe with 20 per cent. The Luo and the Kamba tribes constitute 15 per cent each. The remaining 15 per cent constitute other tribes and foreigners.

The national language is Kiswaheli. However, the people do speak English since the country has been a British colony till 1963. The people are well dressed. The main food is meat and ugali (a solid paste made out of maize flour). Apart from the satisfaction I feel in selling Godrej products, I feel great joy when my customers appreciate the Company. I derived great satisfaction when Joyce Mbindya ?the head of the Day Star University, Nairobi, commented, while James Mbele ?the Sales Executive of Copy Cat Ltd., our dealer at Nairobi, and I were negotiating for the Godrej 49 Defender Safe: “I have not seen Godrej, but, from the way you speak, I can visualise it.?Needless to add, we bagged the order for the safe.