Anna Hazare Most Trusted Personality in India: Survey

Bangalore: Owing to his nationwide campaign against corruption, social activist Anna Hazare has emerged for the second consecutive time the most-trusted personality in India, while mobile handset-maker Nokia the most trusted brand, a new survey has found.

The survey, titled "The Brand Trust Report 2013', carried out by the Trust Research Advisory, however, placed Mahatma Gandhi at 12th position ahead of Tamil superstar Rajnikant in the list of 35 well-known personalities including nine women.

"Hazare has maintained his numero uno position for the second consecutive year", firm's chief executive N Chandramouli told reporters in Mumbai after releasing the report.

The survey lists country's 1,100 most-trusted brands spanning 211 categories, including personalities, personal gadgets, consumer products, retail, technology, banking, government institutes, telecom, airlines, among others.

"Humans are the best indicators of trust because we are conditioned to use human trust as a survival technique spanning millennia. Trust is the crux of all social engagements," he said.

Bollywood actor Aamir Khan jumped to number two position from his fifth rank last year riding high on the popularity of 'Satyamev Jayate', while another Khan, Salman Khan slipped to third notch from second last year.

Interestingly, Shah Rukh Khan was ranked third in the list after Aamir and Salman.

Business tycoon Ratan Tata, who hanged up his boots last year after serving Tata Group as its chairman for 21 years, jumped to fourth position from sixth last year in the survey.

For the first time, the name of legendary industrialist late Dhirubhai Ambani also featured in the list. He was ranked second in the business category.

Ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar stood at fifth position, but continued to be the most trusted personality in the sports category.

Despite being in the news for all the wrong reasons, liquor baron Vijay Mallya featured at third position in the trusted business personalities and ranked eleventh in the overall list.

Yoga guru Baba Ramdev also featured in the list at tenth position.