MANY Indian CEOs have been making news in recent months because of their falling wealth.

Amid the financial ruin, one man stood tall. He was busy shaping a revolution on India's roads.

So it did not come as a surprise that Mr Ratan Tata emerged at the top when the Economic Times asked 500 management professionals to rate India's Most Powerful CEO.

The Western media is singing praises of Mr Tata and his Nano. Many doubted whether he would be able to keep to his promise of producing the budget car within the promised Rs1 lakh price tag, but Mr Tata did not disappoint.

He has in fact surprised his detractors by showing off several models in addition to the basic Nano.

In a recent interview with ZigWheels.com, he even said that his company is looking at the electric car market. An electric version of the Indica will be ready for sale in Europe next year.

'We are also looking at whether it will make sense to get into battery manufacture, say lithium ion batteries. In the course of time we'll take a business decision on that,' he said.

Announcing the results of the survey, the Economic Times said: 'All through 2008-09, the dramatic story of the Nano captured the public imagination and Ratan Tata, the driving force behind the little car, demonstrated tremendous fortitude through all the trials and travails he faced.'

The biggest falls at the top of the rankings this year has been Zee Television's Subhash Chandra, who has dropped 20 places, moving from No. 20 to No. 40.

Now in its fifth year, the India Inc's Most Powerful CEOs survey is conducted by IMRB International for the Economic Times.