edf40wrjww2CF_PaperMaster:Desc
Do successful companies value Social Responsibility and Ethics in Marketing in
India?
Prof. Sudeep Chatterjee*
Introduction
India, the second largest democracy, saw the initiation of the first generation of reforms in 1991
under the stewardship of the then finance minister Dr. Manmohan Singh, followed by the second
generation of new reforms in the post 2001 era.
India has the largest population of middle class in the world and is the second fasted growing
economy after China with an 8% plus GDP growth rate. In the purchasing power parity terms,
India is among the top four of the world and is ranked the world’s 12th largest economy. To tap
this huge market we have large National and International marketing companies operating here in
the FMCG, Durables and services sectors. Most of these companies are highly successful in terms
of profitability-the bottom line, sales revenue-the top line and even market share and growth
rates.
However, there are concerns raised about the value these companies place on social responsibility
and ethics in marketing in their quest for maximisation of profits. This paper hopes to develop an
understanding on the scenario in India on these issues and suggest the directions which can take
our corporate towards social entrepreneurship and become corporate citizens.
Social Responsibility and Marketing Ethics
The issues of marketing practices and ethics and social Responsibility are considered to be
contradictions almost an oxymoron to most people. Marketing professionals have faced criticism
both in USA and India about their ac ...