Professional
A 66+ years old corporate professional having worked in the best of organizations including well known multinationals like IBM World Trade Corporation, Warner-Hindustan, Parke-Davis etc. during the last FIVE DECADES. The other organizations he has worked include Automobile Products of India, Dharamsi Morarji Chemicals, Murugappa Group’s TI Cycles, Hinduja Group’s IndusInd Media and Zee Group’s ETC Channel. His current assignment (since June 2007) is with Ashmore Investments’ Digicable Network (India) Private Limited, a Rs.400 crore company employing 2000+ employees spread over 14 states in India; engaged in distribution of satellite signals of Television Channels to cable-homes through Fiber Optic Cable and providing internet services. He is currently designated as Executive Vice President (Corporate Affairs) and is the Head of HR of the Group Companies.

An Economics Graduate and a Law Degree Holder of Bombay University, Mr. Balan is an exceptional HR professional. It is amazing to note that wherever he was employed, apart from leaving a noticeable mark on his professional assignments, he has won the hearts of the persons he dealt with during his span of 50 years of service – be it his peers, superiors, subordinates or even business and personal acquaintances. This is evident from the numerous e-mails he received from colleagues, ex-colleagues and decades-old acquaintances, when he formally retired from the services of Zee Group’s ETC Networks Limited in April-2007. Despite the limitations communication facilities of the 20th century, he has managed to keep in touch with people – a quality every HR professional should have. The overwhelming accolades he has received vividly speak volumes about his exceptional strength not only as a Human Resources professional but as a very helpful and good human being. His forte is HUMAN RELATIONS. Adaptability, versatility, grit and determination are the key tools to his success, besides his high level of honesty and integrity. He is very systematic and focused in whatever he does. At 66, he is still in demand and his company directors want him to continue as long as he can i.e. as long as his health permits.

Personal
Mr. Balan a native of Palakkad (Kerala) has had the unstinted support of his wife Saraswathy Balan during the last 40 years, which enabled him to work hard and move upward in his career. His elder daughter Priya Balan is an advertising professional who, after spending 12 years in LINTAS and attaining the position of Branch Head and Vice President of their Delhi Branch, has taken a sabbatical in view of her delivering twins recently; and son-in-law Kedar Teny is employed as Marketing Manager in Hindustan Unilever Limited. Mr. Balan’s younger daughter Vidya Balan is a well-established and well-known Bollywood film actress of SIX years standing, who has won several best actress awards for her movies Parineeta, Paa and Ishqiya.