Having embarked on his journey in the development sector by living and working for several years among remote forest based indigenous tribal communities in the southern Indian district of Mysuru, Dr R Balasubramaniam (Balu) is a widely respected development activist, policy analyst, leadership trainer and author. He has uniquely been able to combine a vast development sector experience with studying and teaching at the world’s leading schools of policy and development, including Harvard and Cornell. The founder of Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM) and Grassroots Research And Advocacy Movement (GRAAM), Dr Balasubramaniam embodies a rare blend of grassroots and macro perspectives on public policy and development, thanks to his multi-faceted experience of more than three decades. He also holds membership and consulting positions in Government Bodies and Commissions, World Bank, Academic Boards and Development agencies. His two very popular books are 'i, the citizen' and 'Voices from the Grassroots.'

He is a visiting professor at Cornell University, USA and IIT-Delhi, India. His current area of study includes Social Businesses, Social Stock Exchanges and the ‘for-benefit’ economy. More about him is at www.drrbalu.com