As caste discrimination in South Asia is permeating all aspects of life, foreign investors often play a role in reinforcing caste discrimination, even if not consciously...DSN-UK [Dalit Solidarity Network UK] developed the Ambedkar Principles, drawing on race equality principles developed in the UK and USA...the Global Compact and the OECD Guidelines..ILO [standards] and the Sullivan Principles...Comments were sought from the Dalit communities, the private sector, unions and NGO’s in order to develop a set of Principles that would not ask of companies more than they could offer, but which would be true to the grim reality of the caste system. [Representatives of Lloyds TSB, HSBC, Barclays, Standard Chartered participated in the conference]. [Also indicates company responses to survey of German companies by Dalit Solidarity Network Germany]: Unaxis, Hako, Faber-Castell, Lappgroup, Suessen...rejected the suggestion of affirmative action for reasons of cost, or/and lack of interest...Allianz, Deutsche Bank, DaimlerChrysler, Bosch, Henkel, Klüber, Würth...gave DSiD the contact details of their Indian colleagues. The Coordinator of DSiD visited 4 of them...the CEO and/or Chief personnel officer of Bajaj Allianz, Daimler Chrysler, Bosch and Klüber [outcome of these discussions included in the report]...Klüber "explained that they have had a policy of reservation in employment for some time"...TÜV Rheinland...is open to the idea and would like to implement a reservation policy. 16 companies indicated agreement with the idea of affirmative action in principle. Amongst them were Allianz, Bosch, DaimlerChrysler, Deutsche Bank, Lufthansa, Henkel, Novartis and some smaller companies.