Ardeshir Godrej

Ardeshir Burjorji Sorabji Godrej (1868–1936) was an Indian businessman, who co-founded the Godrej Brothers Company, the precursor of the Godrej Group of companies.

Early years

Ardeshir was born in 1868 as the first of six children to Burjorji and Dosibai Gootherajee. The Gootherajee's were a wealthy Parsi-Zoroastrian family of Bombay (now Mumbai), and Ardeshir's father Burjorji and grandfather Sorabji dealt in real estate. In January 1871, his father had the family name changed to Godrej.

In 1890, Ardeshir married Bachu (Bachubai), who had just turned eighteen. On April 25, 1891, Bachubai and Ardeshir's a second cousin Pirojbai Sohrabji Kamdin decided to climb to the viewing platform of the 85 meter high Rajabai Tower. At the top, one or two miscreants accosted them. According to legend, rather than give into their demands, the two good-looking women jumped. Both lost their lives. Ardeshir rarely spoke of his loss, nor did he ever remarry. Ardeshir and Bachubai had no children.

In 1894, Ardeshir, fresh out of law school, was hired by well-known firm to argue a case on a client's behalf in Zanzibar. The details of the case are not known, but according to his biography, it went well until towards the end, when Ardeshir refused to acknowledge (before the court) that his client had visited a particular place because there was no hard evidence that he had done so. As Ardeshir would later say, it required him to make an assumption that he could not with a good conscience make,...
Read More