'Tata Group perceives to be India's best-known global brand'

"Ratan Tata occupies the well-deserved iconic status who has taken the group from largely an Indian family-owned business house into a professionally managed global conglomerate," the survey said.

About 77 per cent of those who participated in the survey said they are confident that Ratan Tata's successor Cyrus Mistry will be able to steer the group well, it said.

Assocham said it has surveyed about 78 top CEOs and heads of both domestic and foreign companies in the first fortnight of December.

The survey, it said, was conducted not only in Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Hyderabad, but also in London, New York and Singapore.

However, the respondents said the biggest challenge for Mistry would be to ensure that the Tata companies are able to sail through the global slowdown, since the group operates in some 80 countries, several of which are in the grip of difficult times.

The group has interests in steel, automobile, chemicals, telecommunication, information technology, beverages and hospitality, among other areas.

"The Tata story which began in 1868 by Jamsetji N Tata has been the most successful among India Inc. The role played by Mr Ratan Tata and Mr JRD Tata in making the group truly global has been deservedly recognised all over the world," Assocham President Rajkumar N Dhoot said.

Infosys Technologies, Wipro, Mahindra and Mahindra and Aditya Birla Group were the other major Indian

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