Maruti, Armani most trusted automotive, luxury brands: Report

The country's largest carmaker Maruti Suzuki is the most trusted automotive brand in India but when it comes to branded fashion Indians swear by Armani, rating the Italian label as the best, according to a report.

As per 'The Brand Trust Report, India Study 2012', complied by Brand Trust Advisory, Maruti Suzuki is followed by BMW, Hero Honda, Toyota and Honda in the list of the most trusted automotive brands in India.

Other automobile brands such as Ford, Audi, Skoda, Hero and Yamaha also feature in the list of top ten trusted automotive brands, the report said.

Interestingly, Hyundai Motor India Ltd and Tata Motors -- the second and third biggest car makers in India did not make it to the top ten list.

While Maruti Suzuki Dzire has been rated as the most trusted car, BMW has been rated as the most trusted luxury car brand.

When it comes to branded fashion, Armani steals the show with number one rating, followed by Gucci and Diesel.

Esprit, Dolce & Gabana, Playboy, Denim, Tommy Hilfiger, Dunhill and CalvinKlein are the other brands in the top ten list.

"The report measures 61 tangible and intangible aspects of brand trust, which combine to encompass all positive behaviours and attitudes toward a brand," Trust Research Advisory CEO N Chandramouli said.

In the consumer products segment, respondents rated Lux at the top spot, followed by Ponds and Dove.

In food and beverages, Pepsi, Cadbury's and Parle are rated as number one, two and three respectively, Dabur has been rated as the most trusted brand in healthcare business followed by Johnson & Johnson and Himalaya.

When asked about the top diversified business houses in India, respondents said they trusted Tata the most, followed by Bajaj, Reliance and Godrej.

In the consumer durables sector, LG enjoys the numero uno position followed by Samsung, Sony, Onida and Videocon.

In the education sector, IIT comes after Aptech and NIIT.
When it came to hospitality, people rated Taj as the best brand, followed by Hyatt and Marriott, the report said.

In the retail sector, which has been in the news lately due to FDI issues, quick service restaurant chain KFC won people's trust with Big Bazaar and McDonald's at number two and three respectively.

In banking and financial services sector, LIC, State Bank of India, ICICI Bank, HDFC and HSBC (in that order) has been rated as the most trusted.

Overall, the Brand Trust Report 2012 had rated mobile handset maker Nokia as the most trusted brand in India, ahead of homegrown Tata which is at number two in the list of top ten most trusted brands in India.

LG, Samsung, Sony, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj, LIC, Airtel and Reliance (in that order) have also been rated as the top ten trusted brands in India, according to the Brand Trust Report 2012.

The survey conducted between August-November last year, takes into account responses and views on 17,000 brands from over 2,700 participants across 15 cities in the country and has featured top 1,000 brands from several categories.

The report notes that Tata group Chairman Ratan Tata is ranked as top business personality, followed by Vijay Mallya, Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, car stylist Dilip Chabria and Reliance Group of Industries Chairman and Managing Director Mukesh Ambani.