28 Jul, 2026
From storwels to smart workspaces, Godrej celebrates 100 years in Kolkata
~From the first typewriter that turned Calcutta's pavements into a bustling economy of their own, to a hundred years of homes and offices across the city, Godrej's Kolkata journey has grown in step with the city itself~
Kolkata, July 28, 2026: Godrej and Boyce, part of the Godrej Enterprises Group, marks 100 years of its Kolkata Branch this year. This is one of the company's earliest expansions beyond Bombay, and today its single largest branch nationally. Established in 1926 on Clive Street, then the pulse of Calcutta's commercial district (the city was renamed Kolkata in 2001; this release uses "Calcutta" for the pre-2001 period and "Kolkata" thereafter), the Branch has grown into a full-scale operation at its Zonal Headquarters in Sector V, Salt Lake, with a team of over 200 employees.
Commenting on this milestone, Nyrika Holkar, Executive Director, Godrej Enterprises Group, said,“As the Kolkata Branch begins its second century, our responsibility is to build on a legacy of trust by serving the aspirations of Eastern India with the same pioneering spirit that has guided us for the last hundred years, ensuring that our legacy continues to remain relevant for the generations that follow.”
The Godrej story began in 1897, when Ardeshir Godrej established a lock-making enterprise in Bombay (now Mumbai) with the conviction that Indian manufacturing could earn the same trust as imported products. That vision reached Calcutta (now Kolkata) in 1926, then India's foremost commercial centre, where the Swadeshi movement had strengthened demand for Indian-made goods. By offering banks and mercantile houses an indigenous alternative to imported safes, Godrej helped build confidence in home-grown industry, with its furniture, typewriters and interiors eventually becoming part of everyday homes and offices.
Over the next century, the Kolkata Branch grew alongside the city. Godrej safes and steel almirahs became trusted fixtures in businesses, while India's first indigenously built typewriter, introduced in 1955, transformed offices and gave rise to Kolkata's iconic community of pavement typists. In 1990, as the city's commercial hub shifted, the Branch moved to Salt Lake, reflecting Kolkata's own evolution.
Vrunda Pathare, Head of Godrej Archives, Godrej Enterprises Group, said, "Godrej Enterprises Archives tell not only the story of our organisation but also the story of the communities and cities that shaped our journey. In Kolkata, our indigenously built typewriters became part of the city's professional culture, while the iconic Godrej Storwel found a place in generations of Bengali homes, preserving memories alongside cherished belongings. These shared experiences reflect how our products became woven into everyday life, making the archives a record not just of a company, but of a city's evolving social and cultural history."
To mark the occasion, Godrej hosted an exhibition for its employees showcasing 100 years of the Kolkata Branch's history, drawing on the Godrej Archives' collection of photographs, correspondence, advertisements, and personal narratives. The exhibition traced the Branch's journey alongside the city's own evolution from early images of Clive Street and the Branch's original storefronts, to artefacts from the typewriter era and Calcutta's pavement-typist culture, to the Branch's growth into Salt Lake offering attendees a rare, close-up view of a hundred years of shared history between Godrej and Kolkata.
A hundred years on, the Kolkata Branch stands not only as a symbol of endurance, but as a testament to continuity within change. As it looks to the future, it carries forward a legacy rooted in enterprise, shaped by history, and sustained by the belief that every generation builds upon what came before.
About Godrej Enterprises Archives
Established in 2006 following a vision conceived during Godrej's centenary celebrations in 1997, Godrej Enterprises Archives preserves and showcases the rich legacy of the 129-year-old Godrej Enterprises Group and its contribution to India's industrial history. Guided by the motto "Restore. Reflect. Re-imagine.", the Archives conserves historically significant records and memorabilia while supporting research, digitisation, and heritage preservation. Through exhibitions, lectures, and workshops, and more, it promotes awareness of the organisation's history and the importance of preserving India's corporate heritage.
About Godrej Enterprises Group:
Since 1897, Godrej Enterprises Group (which includes Godrej & Boyce and its affiliates) has contributed significantly to India’s economic growth and self-reliance by providing complex engineering, design led innovation, and sustainable manufacturing solutions. From the world’s first patented springless lock, and safes to pioneering Indian made typewriters and refrigerators, the conglomerate has also paved the way for the growth of key sectors like aerospace, energy, and security.
Today, Godrej Enterprises Group, has presence across 5 continents with a market-leading presence across diverse consumer and industrial businesses spanning Aerospace, Aviation, Defence, Energy, Locks & Security Solutions, Green Building Consulting, Construction and EPC Services, Intralogistics, Tooling, Healthcare Equipment, Consumer Durables, Engines and Motors, Furniture, Architectural Fittings, IT Solutions and Vending Machines.
