According to TLG's Index of Emerging Market 'Thought Leaders', the list of top 20 firms was peppered with Indian brands and was dominated by companies from the manufacturing and civil engineering sector.
India's biggest car-maker, Maruti Suzuki, claimed fourth place, while engineering firm Larsen & Toubro was fifth, the Mahindra Group was at 10th place, Hero Honda Motors at 11th and Hyundai Motor India at 20th.
The survey was carried out by TLG in partnership with international research consultancy firm GlobeScan and covered government ministers, directors of blue chip companies and newspaper editors.
The respondents to the survey were asked to identify corporate brands with the power to change the attitudes and behaviour of consumers, employees or politicians -- defined as "Thought Leaders".
Others in the list include State Bank of India (7th), Life Insurance Corporation of India (12th), Bharti Airtel (13th), Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (14th), Aditya Birla Group (15th), The Oberoi Group (16th), HDFC Bank (17th), Dr Reddy's Laboratories (18th) and Ranbaxy Laboratories (19th).
"... The absence of many 'Western' major brands from the top 20 may concern CEOs who are trying to crack the BRICs. They need to refocus their energies on telling their leadership story," TLG Founder Malcolm Gooderham said.
GlobeScan Research Director Oliver Martin said, "As the public's faith in corporate leadership is declining in India, companies must excel in business innovation and progressive CSR to retain a Thought Leadership position."
The Top 10 features two JVs between local and overseas companies, Maruti-Suzuki (4th) and Hindustan Unilever (9th).
The top-ranked foreign firm is Google, which enters the index at number three, followed by Nokia at sixth rank and Facebook at eighth position.
"Western firms that succeed (Google, Nokia and Facebook) are those that adapt their models to local conditions, or ones that form JVs with locals in the driving seat (Suzuki, Unilever)," the report said.
Google, through its YouTube platform, streams live Indian Premier League cricket matches, while Facebook offers mobile access for a special rate of 1 rupee a day.
Interestingly, Apple, which leads the pack in Britain and America, failed to make a mark in the top 20 list in India. Apple's failure to adapt its business model to local tastes and budgets was vastly responsible for this, the report said.
"Indian consumers can buy a new Tata Nano car for the same price as three Apple iPhones," the report said.
