BPCL, Maruti high in CSR, India second worldwide

New Delhi, May 16: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Maruti Udyog were ranked number one in Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in the country, with India falling in the second place after only Thailand, a TNS survey said today.

TNS Automotive which provides automotive research, covered around 50 corporates in India, out of which only 18 companies were ranked above average. The study, conducted in March-April this year, was based on responses from over 16,000 consumers across 16 countries.

''Bharat Petroleum was ranked on the basis of its strength to create a sustainable future, making environmental-friendly products and its ability to create jobs in the country,'' TNS India Senior Vice President R Ravi Shankar told reporters here.

He added that,''Consumers rated Maruti highly for creating jobs, producing products that improve quality of life and ensuring fair prices.'' China stood third in the Public Goodwill Index which indicated the general public's perception of the automotive sector with regard to compliance and contribution towards corporate, social, environmental and philanthrophic activities.

The key issues addressed by the study included ethics, concern for employees, products that improve the quality of life, creation of jobs, preservation of natural resources and disaster relief efforts on the part of the companies.

''These findings clearly show the values that are important to consumers in India. Corporates that realise this and strenghten their CSR activities will benefit from the goodwill they will generate with consumers in this market,'' Mr Shankar said.

Among the global automotive corporations, BMW, Honda, Toyota and Volvo Trucks ranked highest for CSR in two or more markets.

BMW rated highest in Spain and Italy; Honda for US, UK and Indonesia; Toyota for Japan, Korea and Thailand and Volvo Trucks for Sweden and Netherlands.

TNS provides in-depth understanding of global perceptions of the general public towards automotive corporations and operates across a global network of 70 countries.

UNI