Known as one of the youngest chairpersons in corporate India, Nisa Godrej is an Indian female business leader, industrialist, executive and philanthropist. She is the younger daughter of Adi Godrej, Chairman of Godrej Group, and serves as Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), focusing on innovation, strategy and human resources. She is also known for spearheading change at GCPL and introducing a performance-driven culture and inclusion in the workplace. As head of the company’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives, Nisa is primarily responsible for GCPL’s global expansion in Southeast Asia, Africa and Latin America.
Wiki/Biography
Nisa Godrej was born Nisaba Adi Godrej on Sunday, February 12, 1978 (46 years old; as of 2024), and her zodiac sign is Aquarius. Born and raised in Mumbai, she attended Cathedral and John Connon School from 1983 to 1994. Nisha then went to England to receive formal education at Stowe School until 1996. To pursue higher education, she moved to the United States and completed her studies. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania and further obtained an MBA degree from Harvard Business School in Massachusetts.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5’3”
Hair color: medium ash blonde
Eye color: black
family
Parents and siblings
Nisa Godrej is the youngest daughter of Adi Burjorji Godrej, chairman of the Godrej Group, Indian billionaire and industrialist, He was awarded the Padma Shri. Nisha’s mother Parmeshwar Adi Godrej is also the chairman of the Godrej Group, a businesswoman, a former Air India stewardess, an Indian philanthropist and a social worker , died of degenerative lung disease in 2016. Nisa is the second oldest. her parents. Her sister Tanya Arvind Dubash is executive director and chief brand officer of Godrej Industries Ltd., where she manages corporate communications and health food chain Nature’s Basket.
Nisa Godrej and her sister Tanya Arvind Dubash
Nisa’s brother, Pirojsha Adi Godrej, oversees the entire group portfolio as executive chairman of Godrej Properties Ltd. He is also the head of Godrej Properties, the group’s real estate arm.
Nisa Godrej and her brother Pirojsha Godrej
Nisha’s uncle Nadir Godrej is her father’s brother and also holds a fifth of the Godrej Group’s assets. Nadir serves as Managing Director of Godrej Industries and Chairman of Godrej Agrovet, the agribusiness arm of the group.
husband and children
Nisa Godrej married her Wharton classmate Kalpesh Mehta in May 2013. Her husband is the co-founder of Housr and the founder of Tribeca Developers, the real estate company that represents the Trump Organization in India. The wedding, which took place at Godrej’s beachfront mansion in Juhu, Mumbai, was a private affair attended only by family and close friends. The couple has a son, Zoran Mehta, and a daughter.
Nisa Godrej with her parents and husband
Profession
Business
In her early 20s, before pursuing her MBA at Harvard University, Nisa Godrej interned under A. Mahendran, former managing director of GCPL. Nisaaba, then a recent undergraduate student at the Wharton School, spent a year in 2000 working for Godrej’s household insecticide joint venture with American Sara Lee before becoming assistant corporate human resources manager. According to her, she was a failed show at the time. Nisha recalled in an interview,
This is a big failure. This is an expensive way to learn about business realities. “
Within a year, Nisaba became the executive assistant to the managing director of Godrej Tea. In 2008, Nisa was appointed to the board of directors of Godrej Agrovet, and within the span of nearly two years, the second-eldest son of the Godrej family became the president of human capital and innovation of Godrej Industries Ltd. and also became a director of Godrej Household Products Ltd. Nisa’s new role includes managing a variety of projects across the company’s innovation, strategy and human resources areas. In May 2013, Nisa was appointed as the Executive Director of Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL) and has been on a roll ever since. Nisaba became executive chairman of the FMCG division of Godrej Group in May 2017 after serving in leadership positions for four years, taking over from her father. Three years later, in July, young Godrej faced another challenge. Vivek Gambhir, former managing director and chairman of GCPL, resigned citing personal reasons, and Nisa took over Godrej’s consumer flagship business. Her real challenge is dealing with the impact of the coronavirus on the company’s revenue, which has fallen 12%. Nisaba also leads the Godrej Group’s ‘Good & Green’ corporate social responsibility initiative and oversees the operations of the Godrej Family Council. In the interview, when asked about the future development of the company, Nisaba replied that she hopes to make the Godrej Group more inclusive and diverse in the coming years and have women account for at least 30% of its employees. She further commented,
We hope to expand to 10 times the current size in 10 years. We are not even the best in India and we are far from world class. The idea is to make companies more and more attractive for women to stay in the workforce. “
charity
The businesswoman is a philanthropist who works with social organizations like Project Heroes and Teach for India to provide primary education to underprivileged children. Nisa is also actively involved in the Dasra Charitable Foundation, which works to help women, children and rural families achieve large-scale social change. Godrej revealed in an article that she is committed to “changing educational outcomes for a million girls in India.” Nisha is the face of change at the family-owned Godrej Group, and she also advocates for gender-neutral policies. Nisha championed the rights of the LGBT+ community by launching health insurance for same-sex couples and a pay policy for gender transition and hormone replacement therapy at the company.
The visionary business leader is also a strong supporter of women in corporate leadership roles, and her support doesn’t stop there. During her tenure at Godrej Group, Nisa successfully appointed five women to the company’s board of directors, the highest number of female board members among listed companies in India. To make her company lucrative for women employees, Godrej has introduced many women-friendly policies, including work-from-home schemes, maternity support, leadership training, flexible working hours for women employees and programs to help women make a comeback. Has withdrawn from the ranks of middle managers.
leadership position
Godrej’s younger daughter is on the board of directors of several companies including Godrej Consumer Products, Godrej Agrovet, Mahindra and Mahindra and VIP Industries. Nisa also heads corporate communications and media for the group and is responsible for Godrej Nature’s Basket along with her sister Tanya. The philanthropist is also a member of the India Philanthropy Forum.
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- In 2018, Nisa was included in Forbes’ list of Asia’s 25 latest celebrity business women.
- Two years later, in 2020, Nisa was included in Fortune India’s annual list of “The Most Powerful Business Women Who Make a Difference Through Business Acumen and Socio-Cultural Influence”.
Favorites
salary
Nisha’s income is approximately Rs. 462 crore per annum.
net worth
Nisa Godrej’s net worth is approximately Rs 10,489.6 crore and she also owns shares worth over Rs 26,570 crore.
Facts/Trivia
- Nisa Godrej’s full name is Nisaba Godrej.
- Nisha is introverted, reluctant to give interviews to the media, and is very cautious about her public image.
- In 1986, when Nisa was 6 years old, she got the chance to make her Bollywood debut in the film Jaanbaaz. Godrej appears in the opening scene of the film, riding a horse with the initials NAG
In 1986, 6-year-old Nisa Godrej appeared in the opening scene of the film Jaanbaaz
- This businesswoman is passionate about educating women and learning more about the human mind. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, equestrian sports, or water sports.
Nisa Godrej shows off her equestrian skills
- Known for quick decision-making by her colleagues, Nisaba has become the face of reinvention since being associated with the family business.
- In 2007, GCPL’s market capitalization increased 20 times – from Rs. 3,000 Crores to Rs 60,000 Crores for Nisa’s Contribution to GCPL’s Leapfrog Project.
- The Harvard graduate has also been praised for hiring foreigners into leadership roles at the 121-year-old Godrej Group and setting an example of performance-oriented hiring in the Indian business world. In 2008, Nyssa started the trend by replacing a long-time Godrej employee with her Harvard classmate Mark Kahn as executive vice president of Godrej Agrovetto.
- Under Nisa’s leadership, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd.’s (GCPL) revenue doubled to Rs 10 cr in fiscal 2013-2014. 7,583 crore in fiscal year 2010-2011.
- She turned a loss-making business, Godrej Agrove, into a profitable one from 2011 to 2012, when the flagship store made a profit of Rs 10 lakh. 800 million rupees.
- The younger Godrej is also credited with launching new consumer products over the past five years, such as hair dye, pesticides, paper towels, deodorants, cheap insect repellents and car sprays. These products account for a fifth of Godrej Consumer Products’ global growth and more than a third of the company’s domestic growth, the report said.
Nisa Godrej and her new products under GCPL
- Nisha also became the youngest executive chairman of the company with consolidated revenue of Rs 9,600 crore.
- Nyssa made headlines in 2014 when she took her one-month-old son, Zoran, to the office for a board meeting while on maternity leave. This young mother’s dedication to her work while balancing her personal life sets a benchmark for women in the workforce.When Nisaba was asked in an interview about her decision and how she felt about taking her son to the office, she replied
I’m happy to leave my son with a nanny, or in kindergarten, or with my mother-in-law or father-in-law, because I want to work. I have learned to take on the responsibilities of motherhood month after month. Every woman should balance work and career decisions. It has nothing to do with what books and newspaper articles tell you. It’s about what you want…once you make a choice, be confident in that choice and stick to it. Also, remember not to judge other women for the choices they make. “
- According to reports, Nisa Godrej has been appointed as the Chairman of GCPL till March 31, 2022 and she will serve as Managing Director till September 30, 2022.
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education