Which two Indian companies were named in the list of the most ethical companies in the world by the American think tank Ethisphere Institute?

Introduction / Context:
This question checks awareness of corporate ethics and Indian companies that have been recognised globally for strong ethical practices. The Ethisphere Institute is a well known American organisation that publishes an annual list of the most ethical companies in the world, and some Indian firms have featured on this list. Knowing which specific companies were recognised is common content in banking, SSC and other competitive exams.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The list mentioned is the global most ethical companies list published by the Ethisphere Institute.
• The focus is on Indian companies that appeared in the list in that period.
• Several pairs of Indian companies are offered as options.

Concept / Approach:
To answer correctly, we must recall which Indian companies were actually included by Ethisphere as among the most ethical companies. Around this time, Tata Steel and Wipro were repeatedly recognised in the list. Other combinations in the options either contain firms that were not in the list together or include names that were not featured during the same edition of the ranking. Therefore, we select the pair that exactly matches the official recognition.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that the Ethisphere Institute is an American based organisation that maintains the World most ethical companies list. Step 2: Identify that Tata Steel, part of the Tata group, has often been listed because of its long standing reputation for ethical business practices and corporate governance. Step 3: Remember that Wipro, an Indian information technology and consulting company, has also been recognised multiple times in the same list. Step 4: Compare the given pairs and find the one that contains both Tata Steel and Wipro together, which is option Tata Steel and Wipro.

Verification / Alternative check:
If you verify with the official Ethisphere publications or reliable business news sources for that year, you will find that both Tata Steel and Wipro appeared as Indian representatives on the list of the most ethical companies. Other companies like Infosys or Mahindra are respected businesses, but they were not the ones jointly named in that specific Ethisphere list at the time referred to by the question.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Dabur and Tata: Dabur is a well known company, but this exact pair does not reflect the companies named by Ethisphere in that edition. Mahindra and Tata: Mahindra has strong corporate governance, yet this pair does not match the officially recognised combination. Patanjali and Dabur: These brands are popular in consumer products but were not cited as the two Indian companies in that particular ethical companies list. Infosys and TCS: These are leading technology firms but are not the pair specified in the Ethisphere list mentioned in the question.

Common Pitfalls:
A frequent mistake is answering based on general impressions of which companies seem ethical or popular rather than on the specific Ethisphere recognition. Another error is assuming that only information technology companies were honoured. In reality, the list reflects a diverse set of industries, and in this case, one company is an IT major while the other is a steel producer.

Final Answer:
The two Indian companies named in the Ethisphere list of the most ethical companies were Tata Steel and Wipro.