An age-old family business owned by a Parsi family has divided their  $5.7 billion empire among the Godrej scions.

“Godrej was founded in 1897 to help build economic independence for India,” Nadir Godrej said.

“This deep purpose of innovating for a cause - the values of trust and respect and the belief in trusteeship and making communities that the companies operate in stronger and better - continue to form the bedrock of who we are 127 years later,” he added.

The division of the conglomerate was agreed upon to honour the differing viewpoints within the family over business strategies, especially among the younger generation.

“There have been no apparent undercurrents despite the differences,” according to sources.

History of Godrej & Boyce (G&B) 

G&B’s story began within India’s Swadeshi movement when Ardeshir Godrej, known for his innovative prowess, partnered with his brother Pirojsha Burjorji Godrej, who emphasised on manufacturing.

While Ardeshir did not have any children, his younger brother, Pirojsha, inherited the group and had four children: Sohrab, Dosa, Burjor, and Naval.

Over time, Burjor’s sons, Adi and Nadir, and Naval’s children, Jamshyd and Smita, took over the business.

Sohrab had no children, while Dosa had a son named Rishad. Adi has three children: Tanya, Nisaba, and Pirojsha, while Nadir has Sohrab, Burjis, and Hormazd.

Who gets what from the empire’s share?

According to the company, Adi, who is head of the family and his brother Nadir, will retain control of the five listed companies of the Godrej Group.

According to a stock exchange filing, the cousins, Jamshyd and Smita, will receive the unlisted Godrej & Boyce Mfg Co, along with its affiliates and a huge land bank.

Both the groups will continue to utilise the ‘Godrej’ brand and are “committed to growing and strengthening their shared heritage”.

The Godrej Industries Group - which includes the following listed entities will be led by Nadir as chairperson alongside his brother Adi and their immediate families:

Godrej Industries Ltd

Godrej Consumer Products Ltd

Godrej Properties Ltd

Godrej Agrovet Ltd

Astec Lifesciences Ltd 

These five listed companies are collectively valued at ₹2.4 lakh crore.

Pirojsha, son of Adi, has been appointed as the executive vice chairperson of the group.

He is scheduled to assume the role of chairperson from Nadir in August 2026.

Meanwhile, the Godrej Enterprises Group will be led by Jamshyd, who serves as chairperson and managing director, alongside Nyrika Holkar as the executive director, and their immediate families, as per the family settlement agreement.

The Godrej Enterprises Group comprises Godrej & Boyce, along with its associated companies that operate diverse businesses including appliances, aerospace, aviation, defence, energy, security, construction, healthcare, furniture, IT, and infrastructure.

Godrejs are landlords of 3,400 acres in Mumbai

The family will also retain land banks, including over 3,400 acres in Vikhroli, a suburb of Mumbai, which remain the family’s largest asset.

“With this forward-looking family agreement now in place, we can further drive our growth aspirations with fewer complexities and focus on leveraging our core strengths in high-tech engineering and design-led innovation across our strong portfolio of strategic, consumer, and emerging businesses,” said Jamshyd.

(With inputs from IANS)

Also read:

Sustainability & profitability - a positive relationship for 86% Indian firms: Report

GST collections scale record high of ₹2.1 lakh crore in April