REACHING OUT TO BUILD THE BRAND IN THE CORPORATE SECTOR

Ch. The Platinum Rating for the Centre of Excellence in Hyderabad is a high point in Godrej achievements as Corporate Citizen. What is interesting is that you planned and achieved this rating from the very start, unlike the other two similarly rated centres. What inspired you to go a step further than these two?

JNG. The Green Business Centre was planned from inception to demonstrate Green technologies and as such the achievement of the Platinum Rating was essential for this purpose. We were fortunate in being the first building in the world approved for Platinum under LEED 2.0.

Ch. The Andhra Pradesh Government gave you full support. But there must have been several hurdles to cross. What were these, and how did you overcome them?

JNG. The only hurdles were routine ones. In fact the Andhra Pradesh Government went out of its way to facilitate the building of the Centre. Land required by us was made available in a high-tech area. Several CII members, too, supported the venture in the belief that it would offer long-term returns both to the industry and the country.

Ch. According to a recent article in SPAN magazine, the total construction cost was Rs. 80 million of which you generously contributed Rs. 50 million. Is that correct?

JNG. The total cost, which is correct, includes not only the actual building but the cost of equipping it. The Pirojsha Godrej Foundation and the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation generously contributed Rs. 50 million.

Ch. Have you any plans for more such ratings? What about the Centre of Excellence being built by Godrej at Pirojshanagar?

JNG. Yes, indeed. We are planning the CII-Naoroji Godrej Centre of Excellence to be a Platinum- or Gold-rated building.

Ch. The Green Business Centre, according to SPAN, plans to reach out to 2,500 business houses in order to build the brand in the corporate sector. Is it true that you plan to promote five such Green Building ventures by 2005?

JNG. The major objective is to reach out to as many business houses as possible to promote Green Business processes in the corporate sector. The North Delhi Power Company of the Tata Group, the proposed ITC headquarters in Gurgaon and Dr. Reddy Laboratories in Hyderabad have shown interest. Indications are that we will exceed the target of five such Green Buildings by 2005.

Ch. Is it your goal to make India a global leader in Green Businesses so that savings will accrue in energy and water and lead to bigger savings to society at large?

JNG. To make India a global leader in Green Businesses is certainly a major goal. We are convinced that this makes sound business and economic sense. Huge savings can accrue to society in energy and water-related costs.

Ch. Is it a fact that the initial cost outlay for Green Building construction is only 10 per cent more than the cost of conventional buildings and that this extra cost can easily be made up from savings in energy and water?

JNG. My expectation is that the additional cost of a Green Building over a conventional building would be approximately 10 to 15 per cent of the total cost. However, due to significant savings in energy and water conservation and other Green features, the payback for the additional cost will be within three years.

Ch. Will you please elaborate on the stated objectives of the Green Business Centre - providing a platform for demonstrating Green products and technologies; a networking centre for entrepreneurs and businesses going Green; bringing out a Green Business directory covering the latest trends and practices; a permanent technology centre to showcase available technologies in Green-related activities?

JNG. No doubt these are our objectives, but you’ve missed out one activity, which deserves top priority. This is water conservation and management. Water shortage in the not-too-distant future threatens not only India but the entire world. We plan to do all in our power to persuade architects and builders to incorporate Green principles in whatever they build. We intend to bring pressure on the Government too to do the needful. We need to learn from America. There is a strong Green movement in America. To give just one example, California is a pioneer in controlling car pollution, having made a law to this effect.

Ch. Would you agree that the very fact that such ratings are being given by a world-recognised body will prove to be an impetus towards building, in due course, a Green Economy that will create enormous wealth, not only in material goods, but more generally in ecological regeneration and human well-being?

JNG. The whole idea of Green technology grew from the sad fact that today one-third of humanity consumes a disproportionate amount of goods. Now, if the other two-thirds, which are today deprived, were to consume the same amount, the resources would just not be available. This is why we have to have development in a sustained manner, otherwise the cost could be exorbitant for future generations.

Ch. A lead article in the Times recently quotes the Indian activist Stan Thekaekara saying, in his Alternative Mansion House speech, that the success of an economy is to be reckoned “not just by the profits generated, but how equitably this profit has been distributed”. What are your views on this?

JNG. An economy is successful when there is significant growth, employment opportunities, and an equitable distribution of income. Generating profits by the corporate sector is essentially for reinvestment in capital goods and human resources. The competitiveness of countries and the companies within their borders are determined by many factors. A high level of competitiveness is essential for high performing economies. Companies all over the world and especially in developing countries believe in the importance of equitable distribution of profits in such a manner that local communities and international communities benefit from contributions of money and human resources.

Ch. The Times article also speaks of the “globalisation of markets” becoming over a period of time “a globalisation of values” (meaning gains in terms of human welfare, environmental balance, besides money) and an “economy of hope”. Do you think this is just a dream or that it is achievable?

JNG. One of the fundamental reasons for globalisation is to create jobs and opportunities in developing countries. The record of globalisation so far indicates that on balance globalisation has been successful in creating more jobs and opportunities throughout the world. There are, of course, many issues touched upon such as equity, human rights and environmental balance. It is a difficult balance to maintain when development needs of developing countries are so huge and often the rate of development is disappointing. Market-led mechanisms have been found over time to be the most efficient option as opposed to directed growth. Keeping this in mind, one can hope that the needs of globalisation and development will give due respect to issues such as human rights and environment balance. The role of NGOs (non-governmental organisations) and of a free press in furthering this balance to the maximum possible extent cannot be underestimated. Transparency and open debates are essential to achieve this goal.

USHERING IN A GREEN ECONOMY,
LEADING TO HUMAN WELL-BEING

Ch. You have been associated with the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre in Hyderabad from its inception. How do you feel now that the Centre is complete and has a Platinum Rating to its name?

SCK. Personally, the award of the Platinum Rating to the CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre building has given me a great sense of satisfaction, recognition and abiding fulfilment. I consider myself singularly fortunate to be associated with this prestigious project.

Ch. Could you acquaint us with the exact nature of your responsibilities in maintaining and running this Centre? What are the business activities that will be carried on at the Centre? Will they be environment-oriented too?

SCK. I was appointed as a Project Coordinator with a full mandate to act as the client and ensure the achievement of the goals set out for the project. Now that the project is over, the responsibility for the day-to-day running of the Centre has been entrusted to a team headed by me. This includes the upkeep and operations of all the special features associated with the building, which makes it a unique activity. All the business activities of the Centre will be related to the environment through specific areas such as water management, energy efficiency, renewable energy, recycling waste management and Green Buildings.

Ch. In an interview in The Indian Express recently, architect Karan Grover stated, “We have hundreds of years of legacy in such constructions and the Centre only revives our traditional methods (like jaali work in the Taj Mahal and the water regeneration system in Mughal Gardens). But aren’t the 45-feet wind towers, photovoltaic panels to generate solar energy, the waste treatment, etc., a dramatic departure from our traditional methods to more modern concepts appropriate to our time? What are your views on this?

SCK. I entirely agree with you. The features incorporated in the building are the most modern and are appropriate to the present times. However, some of the features of the buildings such as the open courtyard and jaali walls, etc. are inspired by traditional Indian architecture.

Ch. India is the first country outside the U.S. to win this Platinum Rating. A news item in The Economic Times (28 November, 2003) speaks of “Robert Redford posing a challenge to India’s Green title”. Your comments, please.

SCK. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system allows even the Robert Redford building to achieve the Platinum Rating.

The Platinum award given to the GBC is a recognition by LEED as to the capacity of the building for energy savings and environmental protection incorporated in the design.

Ch. I repeat a question that I put also to Jamshyd Godrej. Do you visualise such Green centres in India and the world as providing an impetus towards building, in due course, a Green Economy that will create enormous wealth, not only in material goods, but more generally in ecological regeneration and human well-being?

SCK. Without doubt there is a great scope for the “Green Buildings” concept to make a big impact in the Indian construction industry, especially in respect of corporate building. The Green Building movement has received great support from the U.S. Federal as well as State Governments. Similar support from the Central and State Governments in India would facilitate a Green Building revolution in the coming years. Once the concept takes off, the Green Building movement would usher in a Green Economy, leading to human well-being in its broadest sense.

Ch. Any other comments you would like to make?

SCK. The CII-Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre has initiated the Green Building movement in the country and is now poised to play the role of a catalyst leading to market transformation in India.

“Solitary time in nature is a
spiritual experience”

heroza Godrej’s appointment book must vouch for her time management skills. Wife of industrialist Jamshyd Godrej, the lady runs Cymroza Art Gallery, oversees activities at the Bombay Natural History Society, is the trustee of Dr. Bhaudaji Lad Museum Trust and honorary secretary of the Museum Society of Bombay. Her pet interest is the environment and much of her work and leisure is centred around conservation. She has been heading the National Society of the Friends of the Trees since 2000 and encourages afforestation by organising the Vanamahotsav every monsoon, where lots of school children participate. Here is what she has to say about her love for nature.

Her upbringing amidst nature: “I was fortunate to have been born when I was and to live where I did. My school placed great emphasis on the outdoors and our vacations were spent at hill stations, wildlife parks and sanctuaries. In fact, even after marriage, I lived in the same locality. That was a different Mumbai though, where bungalows and cottages lined the streets. One actually saw grass and weeds along the roads. Of course, the Malabar Hill and Doongarwadi areas retain a forest-like ecosystem to this day. Mumbai is blessed to have city forests in Doongarwadi, the Mahim Nature Park and the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, and pockets of mangrove forests like the one at Vikhroli. In fact, the Soonabai Pirojsha Godrej Foundation has developed and is maintaining this as an Ecological Marine Park”.

The family’s love for the outdoors: “It is nature that holds us enthralled. That is how the family prefers to spend its leisure time. I believe nature provides the purest inspiration. It makes the best companion, and time spent in solitude amidst nature is almost a spiritual experience. No wonder saints are known to isolate themselves and meditate in forests. Of course one needs family and friends, but that is different. Nature is always there for you; it never lets you down. The problem with us city dwellers is that consumerism and materialism have numbed us. We find time for everything else but to listen to birdsongs, smell fresh blooms, feel a newborn pup or kitten, taste a wild berry or watch a sunrise or sunset. Even when my schedules become hectic and I am unable to make myself scarce for a short spell, a few hours in our garden at home revives my spirits and I feel whole again.”

Sailing with the family: “On weekends we go sailing and this sport offers the chance of complete communion with nature. Only I despair at the way we have polluted our seas, and this is especially true of the area near Mumbai Harbour.”

On giving her children the same advantage: “Our children Raika and Navroze enthusiastically share our concern for nature. We have a great advantage in Pirojshanagar, our industrial garden township, which is ideal for children to grow up in — the diversity of trees, shrubs, insects and birds is incredible!”

Courtesy: The Financial Express