Ethisphere Introduces New South Asia Chapter of Its Business Ethics Leadership Alliance in India
Immediate Participation From 19 Major Multinational Companies Highlights Growing Value of Business Ethics Worldwide
NEW YORK, August 31, 2017 (Newswire.com) – Ethisphere, a global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices, announced today the launch of its South Asia Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) Chapter in India. Together with the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), the largest industry association in India, whose mission is to create an environment conducive for the growth of industry in the country, this new South Asia BELA Chapter also includes a community of select multinational companies who will serve as Founding Members of this exclusive initiative. They will be tasked with shaping the strategic and tactical direction of the chapter while playing a leadership role in inspiring best practices in ethics, integrity, and anti-corruption efforts across India and South Asia.
“This platform will provide an opportunity for senior ethics and compliance leaders to collectively reach our goal of advancing transparency and integrity throughout the South Asian business ecosystem,” said TejalPatil, General Counsel, GE South Asia. “With a roster of prestigious multinational companies on board for the South Asia Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), we are confident that we can coordinate efforts to set a gold standard for ethics and principled business practices.”
“Multiple studies have demonstrated how companies that prioritize transparency not only contribute to societal improvements, they often outperform the market,” said Erica Salmon Byrne, Executive Vice President and Executive Director, BELA. “With consumer demand for ethical business practices increasing globally, companies around the world are embracing a strong focus on integrity. It has become clear that consumers and stakeholders are seeking to conduct business with companies that maintain a deep concern not only for immediate profits, but also for a sustainable future, making the mission of the new South Asia BELA Chapter a vital factor in improving transparency and integrity in India.”
We are joining the South Asia BELA Chapter to define, anchor, and promote the ethics of authentic leadership in a fast-changing financial eco-system of new India with global partners, in an increasingly interconnected world.
“CII is delighted to have the privilege to partner with the U.S.-based Ethisphere,” said Sumit Mazumder, past President of CII, Chairman of the CII National Committee on Integrity and Transparency in Governance, and Chief Managing Director of TIL Ltd. “In the globalized environment in which Indian industry operates today, it makes eminent sense to follow good business practices. CII is promoting the cause of ethical business in India, and this partnership will help in bringing to India industry best practices and experiences from around the world.”
Founding Members of the South Asia BELA Chapter will help construct best practices in corporate ethics, based on insights shared among the members. Each company will designate senior level representatives in India who will work with experts from Ethisphere to capture, codify, and communicate ethical practices that will advance business in the region. The Founding Member companies include:
- 3M
- Accenture
- Bayer Crop Science Ltd India
- Dell Technologies
- Diageo India
- Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd
- Dun & Bradstreet
- General Electric
- Godrej Industries Ltd
- Infosys
- Johnson Controls
- Jones Lang LaSalle
- Mahindra & Mahindra
- State Bank of India (SBI)
- Tata Power
- Tata Steel
- The Boeing Company
- The Coca-Cola Company
- Walmart
“This is a groundbreaking initiative in India, and we are proud to partner with each of these leading companies to help set the standard for universal business ethics in this region of the world,” said Aarti Maharaj, Managing Director, South Asia BELA Chapter. “The strategic imperative for the Founding Member companies and their senior executives is to form a unique community of leaders in India’s ethics space and to create a sustainable organization that will develop and implement best practices in business ethics, benefiting generations to come.”
“At 3M, ethics and integrity are how we do business—we are proud of our long-standing commitment to doing business the right way,” said Veena Lakkundi, Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, 3M. “We are very pleased that these commitments have again been recognized by Ethisphere, which has named 3M as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies® for the fourth year in a row. We are also delighted to become a Founding Member of Ethisphere’s South Asia BELA Chapter—this will become a key platform on which we exchange insights with other industry leaders in building compliance culture, risk assessment and mitigation, and attaining operational excellence.”
“SBI, known for its hallmark ethos of over 200 years, has always provided thought leadership in the Indian banking space,” said Atul Kumar, Chief Ethics Officer, SBI. “We are joining the South Asia BELA Chapter to define, anchor, and promote the ethics of authentic leadership in a fast-changing financial ecosystem of new India with global partners, in an increasingly interconnected world.”
“Ethical practices are not merely good business, but essential for commercial success and sustainable growth,” said Manish Sinha, Managing Director, Dun & Bradstreet India. “Recognized for nine consecutive years by Ethisphere as one of the World’s Most Ethical Companies, Dun & Bradstreet is proud to be a Founding Member of the South Asia Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA) Chapter in India to continue collaborating with our customers and industry leaders to combat corruption efforts and steward best practices in business ethics and integrity across the region.”
“At Accenture, our ethics are the foundation on which we build trust. We hold ourselves to the highest ethical standards in the way we treat each other at work and in our engagements with our clients and communities,” said Ajay Vij, Managing Director, Geographic Services, Accenture in India. “We believe our ethical behavior differentiates us in the marketplace. To that end, we are happy to join Ethisphere and CII’s South Asia BELA Chapter to collectively build on the learnings of each other and define best practices that will guide organizations of the future.”
“At Infosys, we have always believed in following the highest levels of ethical standards guided by our value system. This has remained the foundation of company’s success over the years,” said Inderpreet Sawhney, General Counsel and Chief Compliance Officer, Infosys. “We are proud to be a founder member of Ethisphere’s SA BELA chapter in India. This platform will act as an interactive resource where experts can counsel businesses in the region with global best practices in corporate ethics.”
The South Asia BELA Chapter will officially launch at a media event on Sept. 19 at the CII headquarters in New Delhi, India, and will feature a high-profile panel of senior executives, CEOs, and trusted advisors from Founding Member companies.
About Ethisphere
Ethisphere is the global leader in defining and advancing the standards of ethical business practices that fuel corporate character, marketplace trust, and business success. Ethisphere has deep expertise in measuring and defining core ethics standards using data-driven insights that help companies enhance corporate character. Ethisphere honors superior achievement through its World’s Most Ethical Companies recognition program, provides a community of industry experts with the Business Ethics Leadership Alliance (BELA), and showcases trends and best practices in ethics with Ethisphere Magazine. Ethisphere’s reach continues to expand with events hosted around the globe bringing together thought leaders and practitioners through local roundtables and global summits. More information about Ethisphere can be found at https://ethisphere.com.
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