The rating process asked the automobile companies to disclose information on the parameters voluntarily. But it also took help from a team of volunteers who were given the mandate to inspect the production plant and assess the companies for:

• Transparency in disclosures

• Housekeeping and safety

• Environment management systems

• Working of the effluent treatment plant and

• Management of air pollution controls, solid waste and hazardous waste disposal

The primary survey reports received from the green inspectors were used to crosscheck with the performance data. The inspectors' reports helped correlate the environmental performance of the production plants with the levels of pollutant discharged in water, land and air and arrive at the overall environmental impact of the company in its surrounding sphere of influence (the range till which the impact of a company is visible). The task was arduous. But commendably the inspectors brought in results that were crucial and reconfirmed the data generated by the secondary analysis.