India-based multinationals nominated for U.S. award


by Narayan Lakshman

General Electric Company (India) and PepsiCo (India) are among twelve finalists selected for the United States Secretary of State’s prestigious 2010 Award for Corporate Excellence (ACE).



The companies were chosen from a “record number” of 78 nominations submitted by American ambassadors around the world, a primary qualification for nomination being the requirement that the companies were international business leaders who recognised the role of U.S. businesses abroad as good corporate citizens.



Regarding the nomination of GE in India the State Department said that it had been nominated for fostering of local partnerships and volunteerism, supporting health, education, innovation and disaster recovery projects across India; and for “exemplary” employment practices and the promotion of cleaner, more energy efficient products.



PepsiCo India, officials said, had furthered the cause of environmental sustainability through water conservation efforts that had benefited small and marginal farmers. It was also nominated for supporting the health and well-being of local communities and providing important employment opportunities through training with a focus on diversity and inclusion.



Other U.S. based companies with operations abroad were nominated too, including Alta Ventures in Mexico, Cisco in Israel Coca-Cola in Swaziland, Denimatrix in Guatemala Fiji Water in Fiji, Intel in Costa Rica, Mars, Inc. in Ghana, Qualcomm in China, Synopsys in Armenia, and Tang Energy in China.



The State Department noted that the Secretary of State had awarded the ACE since 1999 to commemorate U.S. businesses abroad for not only good corporate citizenship, but also innovation, and democratic principles.



The 2010 ACE winners will be announced at the annual ceremony hosted by the Secretary of State later this fall, officials said.