NE MSME BUREAU
ALIGARH, SEPT 23
What does it take for a small manufacturing enterprise to move from meeting quality standards to competing with confidence in global supply chains? For Aligarh’s MSMEs, a new initiative by Godrej Enterprises Group (GEG), in partnership with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), seeks to answer that question by taking supplier development beyond certification to shop-floor capability, operational discipline and continuous improvement.
GEG on Wednesday launched ‘Udaan’, an industry-led supplier capability-building initiative, with Aligarh as its first location. The programme is designed to strengthen India’s manufacturing ecosystem by equipping supplier partners with a structured Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) journey aimed at improving productivity, resource utilisation, collaboration and global competitiveness.
- Godrej Enterprises Group and CII launch supplier capability-building initiative, with Aligarh as the first stop
- Structured Total Productive Maintenance programme targets productivity, quality, reliability and operational excellence
- Specialist consultants, factory audits and quarterly reviews to guide participating MSMEs through implementation
- Initiative to expand across 10 cities, extending capability-building across the supplier ecosystem
- Aligarh suppliers progress from PCP, ZED certification and Lean Manufacturing towards the next level of competitiveness
- Godrej recognised by Laghu Udyog Bharati, Aligarh, for its sustained contribution to MSME development
The initiative is planned to be scaled across 10 cities, extending its reach beyond the first cluster and supporting capability development across the wider supplier ecosystem.
From certification to continuous improvement
Under Udaan, Godrej Enterprises Group, in collaboration with the CII TPM Club of India, has developed a dedicated TPM curriculum tailored to the needs of MSMEs.
Participating suppliers will receive support from specialist TPM consultants for on-ground implementation and capability building. The cluster-based model will focus on strengthening manufacturing processes, eliminating operational losses, improving productivity and fostering a culture of ownership and continuous improvement.
Progress will be tracked through quarterly reviews, periodic assessments and factory audits conducted by CII representatives and industry experts. Supplier partners that successfully complete the programme will receive formal recognition from both Godrej Enterprises Group and CII.
GEG said it is the first company in the hardware industry—and among a select group of organisations in India—to extend a structured TPM excellence programme across its supplier ecosystem.
A six-year journey for Aligarh suppliers
Udaan builds on Godrej Enterprises Group’s engagement with participating supplier partners over the past six years.
These enterprises have already completed the Partnership Competitiveness Programme (PCP), achieved Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Certification and embarked on Lean Manufacturing Certification. The new initiative is intended to take them into the next phase of operational capability.
The progression is significant for MSMEs seeking to strengthen their manufacturing systems: quality certification establishes a foundation, while TPM implementation can help embed equipment effectiveness, disciplined processes, loss reduction and continuous improvement into everyday operations.
For participating businesses, the programme offers a structured opportunity to develop capabilities that can support productivity, consistency and reliability—factors that matter to suppliers serving demanding manufacturing value chains.
‘Nation-building’ through stronger suppliers
Pushkar Gokhale, Business Head, Security Solutions Business, Godrej Enterprises Group, said:
“As India advances towards the vision of Viksit Bharat, strengthening the country’s manufacturing and supply chain ecosystem will be critical to driving economic growth, competitiveness and resilience. At Godrej Enterprises Group, nation-building has been at the core of our journey for 129 years, and we believe businesses have a responsibility to strengthen the broader ecosystem alongside their own growth. Udaan is one such step in that direction. Through this initiative, we aim to equip our supplier partners with world-class manufacturing practices and operational excellence capabilities, helping build stronger, more competitive supply chains that can contribute to India’s ambition of becoming a global manufacturing powerhouse.”
The programme reflects an approach in which supplier capability is treated as an integral part of manufacturing competitiveness—not merely as a procurement concern.
By investing in process improvement and operational excellence among its supplier partners, GEG aims to strengthen supply-chain resilience while helping smaller enterprises develop capabilities that can support their own growth.
CII: Collaboration can build lasting capability
Major Neil Castelino, Chief, CII Institute of Quality, said:
“MSMEs are at the heart of India’s manufacturing ecosystem, and strengthening their capabilities is essential to building a more competitive and resilient Indian industry. The Godrej Udaan Cluster Initiative is a strong example of how industry-led collaboration can go beyond business objectives to create long-term capability across the supplier ecosystem. By bringing together industry experience and CII-IQ’s expertise in operational excellence, the initiative is enabling participating MSMEs to strengthen their capabilities through focused TPM implementation, assessment and continuous improvement. This journey will help build stronger enterprises, enhance productivity, quality and reliability, and contribute to a more competitive and resilient manufacturing ecosystem for India.”
The collaboration combines Godrej’s supplier-development experience with CII’s operational-excellence expertise. Its effectiveness will ultimately be reflected in the improvements participating MSMEs achieve on the factory floor and sustain over time.
Recognition for sustained MSME engagement
In recognition of its sustained efforts to strengthen Aligarh’s MSME ecosystem, Godrej Enterprises Group was recently honoured by Laghu Udyog Bharati, Aligarh, with the ‘Outstanding Contribution to MSME Development in Aligarh’ recognition.
The launch of Udaan adds another phase to the company’s supplier-development engagement, with Aligarh serving as the starting point for a programme intended to expand across 10 cities.
For the participating MSMEs, the next milestone is translating training, assessment and technical support into measurable improvements in productivity, quality, reliability and resource efficiency. For the wider manufacturing ecosystem, the initiative places a pertinent question on the table: how can stronger supplier capabilities help Indian industry build more resilient, competitive and globally connected value chains?
