What Defines a Life Built on Learning, Leadership, and Giving?

Tracing Dr. Parasuram Balasubramanian’s Path from Technology Expert to Social Impact Champion.

“Sharing what you’ve learnt and earned,  multiplies your joy.”

For Dr. Parasuram Balasubramanian, IIT Madras was more than an academic institution; it was the crucible where discipline, perseverance and self-belief took shape. A vivid memory from his pre-final year still brings a smile till date: after scoring poorly in an Electronics periodical, he checked out five textbooks from the library, burned midnight oil solving every problem, and went on to finish the next exam in half the allotted time, scoring one of his best marks ever. That experience, etched in his memory, not only built his confidence but also taught him a lifelong lesson: perseverance, paired with self-discipline, always prevails.

Mr Balasubramanian at his B.Tech graduation ceremony, receiving degree amid peers and faculty.

His professional journey took him deep into Analytics and Management, but it was the human connection of mentoring students, guiding young professionals, and acting as an advisor that kept him rooted. Between 1986 and 2020, he helped organize alumni gatherings across generations, offering career guidance and nurturing young inventors and entrepreneurs. At IIT Madras, he says, he found “the fora for continuous interactions and learning”: a place that always kept his mind youthful and his curiosity alive.

Mr. Balasubramanian's 1966 IIT Madras Student Card photo.

If there’s one theme that defines his giving, it’s excellence with purpose. His philanthropic footprint at IIT Madras spans three key initiatives:

• Young Faculty Awards (since 2007): Encouraging early excellence in teaching and research.
• Student Awards: Recognizing outstanding student performance across years.
• AquaMAP (since 2022): Establishing a Centre of Excellence in Water Management that has inspired state-wide adoption of IITM innovations.  

For him, each of these efforts represents an investment not just in individuals but in a collective future of learning and impact. “When I see a faculty member I once supported leading national research or a student project transforming entire villages,” he says, “the happiness is immeasurable.”

1971 batchmates informal group photo: Mr. Balasubramanian stands 5th from left in the back row (from the viewer’s perspective)

Ask him what the Joy of Giving means, and his answer is simple yet profound: “Giving is a two-way street. I get enormous happiness when I see the fruits of the effort.” The act of giving his time, knowledge, and resources has never been about charity but about gratitude, continuity, and shared growth.

If he were to sit across with a current IITM student over a cup of coffee, Mr. Balasubramanian’s advice would come with the calm assurance of experience: “Persevere to win, it takes time.” For him, patience isn’t passive; it’s the quiet strength that turns effort into excellence. Every achievement, whether personal or institutional, begins as a seed of persistence nourished over time.

That same belief in perseverance shapes his outlook on giving. Supporting young faculty, rewarding students, and enabling national impact initiatives like AquaMAP are all, to him, acts of faith in the future. All these efforts stand out as proof that growth takes time, care, and community. “Share your Time, Talent, or Treasure–whatever you can,” he reminds his fellow alumni. “The happiness we once felt as students multiplies manifold when we help the next generation find their own path.”

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________