I first met Bala Sir at Pune in 1995, when I was still in army service. For want of a better place, Bala Sir was conducting classes for MBA aspirants in simple rented premises in the afternoons. I was received and conducted by his students, trained so competently by Bala Sir. Only in the final minutes of my visit, I was received by Bala Sir. He wanted me to see for myself the caliber and competence of his students, even though he did not even have a proper building to hold classes!


Our association grew as I settled in Pune after retirement. The present campus of Sri Balaji University was under construction, but classes had already started there. Bala Sir understood really well that the key to new admissions lay in the placement of graduating students. He used to stand in wait for hours, just to meet the Director of the company he was trying to see for the placement of HIS students. On one occasion when Bala Sir was told that the Director had only one minute to spare, Bala Sir entered, quickly introduced himself and his institution, and started to leave, till the Director personally requested Bala Sir to please sit and speak about his institution and his students!


No other person can claim to have gone through the highs and lows of life like Bala Sir. But then no other person can claim to have the determination and courage like Bala Sir. Success did not come easily, but Bala Sir was not the man to give up. When going through a low period in his life, Bala Sir became even more determined to do what he always wanted to do. Times finally changed, his merit was recognized and now the Corporates were chasing the Sri Balaji Society for placement. His students were doing extremely well in the companies they joined, and they came to his (and their old) college for further recruitment.


And then came the much-deserved formal recognition. Our Bala Sir became Prof (Col) Balasubramanian, and the Sri Balaji Society founded by him the Sri Balaji University.


A MAN WHO FOUGHT LIFE WITH THE COURAGE OF A LION, A MAN TOTALLY UNDETTERED BY REVERSES.