National Portal Of India 
Dr. R. Balasubramaniam
Member, NITI Aayog
Dr. R. Balasubramaniam, popularly known as Dr. Balu, is a widely respected development practitioner, leadership trainer and author. He is well known for his work amidst the tribal communities of Karnataka. He brings to this role a rare blend of grassroots and macro perspectives, drawn from nearly four decades of multifaceted experience in development and public policy. He was previously the Member - HR at Capacity Building Commission from April 2021 to April 2026.
EDUCATION
PhD, Leadership and Management
Centurion University of Technology and Management (CUTM)
December 2025
Doctor of Letters, Honoris Causa
Nrupatunga University, Government of Karnataka (for social work with rural and tribal communities)
August 2024
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University; Mason Fellow
2010
MPhil, Hospital and Health Systems Management
BITS, Pilani
2003
MBBS
Mysore Medical College, University of Mysuru
1987
CURRENT ROLES
Member, NITI Aayog, Government of India
Chairperson, Social Stock Exchange Advisory Committee, SEBI
Adjunct Faculty, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi
PAST SERVICE
Member (HR) | Capacity Building Commission (Mission Karmayogi), Government of India — New Delhi | June 2021 – May 2026
Chairperson | Technical Advisory Committee, Gross Domestic Knowledge Product (GDKP), MoSPI, Government of India — 2025 – 2026
Member, Board of Trustees | YuWaah Programme, UNICEF India
May 2020 — 2024
Co-Chair | The LIFE Group on the T-20 during India's G20 Presidency.
2023
Chairman | State Committee on Youth Policy, Government of Karnataka
2022
Member | Governing Council, Bangalore Ambedkar School of Economics (BASE), Government of Karnataka December 2019 — March 2022;
Chairman | Committee for Capacity Building for the National Education Policy (NEP), Ministry of Higher Education, Government of India | February 2022
Member | Governing Body, National Council of Rural Institutes (NCRI), Ministry of HRD, Government of India|March 2017 — March 2020
Director, Alumni Board | Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, USA
July 2016 — June 2020
Reviewer | Fulbright-Nehru Fellowships, United States-India Educational Foundation (USIEF)
July 2017
Member | State Level Task Force on Elimination of Poverty, Government of Karnataka | May 2015
Member | State Level Steering Committee, Karnataka Human Development Report, Government of Karnataka | August 2013 — July 2014
Member | Mission Group for Health, Karnataka Knowledge Commission May 2012 — March 2013
Member | Vision 2020, Office of the Chief Minister, Government of Karnataka September 2008 — March 2013
Special Investigator / Vigilance Director | Karnataka Lok Ayukta — Bengaluru | September 2006 – August 2011
SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS
- Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM): Founded in 1984; runs hospitals, schools, and colleges for tribal and rural communities, with programmes reaching over 3 million people across Karnataka.
- Grassroots Research and Advocacy Movement (GRAAM): Founded in 2011 to carry the evidence of lived grassroots reality into national and state policy-making.
- Frank H. T. Rhodes Professor, Cornell University, USA (2012 – 2014); held the prestigious endowed chair for two years and continued association with Cornell as Visiting Professor and faculty affiliate till 2024.
FELLOWSHIPS AND AFFILIATIONS
- External Faculty Affiliate, Cornell Programme in Infrastructure Policy, Cornell University, USA (2013 — 2020)
- Mid-Career Fellow — Humanitarian and Development Domain, Hauser Centre for Civil Society, Harvard University, USA (2009 — 2010)
- Mason Fellow in Public Policy and Management, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, USA (2009 — 2010)
- TATA Scholar, JN Tata Endowment, India (2009)
AREAS OF EXPERTISE
Development Sector
Grassroots & Tribal Development; Sustainable Development Goals; Drinking Water & Sanitation; Social Justice; Skill Development; Labour Employment, Panchayati Raj; Urbanisation; Citizen-Centric Development
Social Entrepreneurship & Social Business
Social innovations; Rural Social Businesses for Women; Social Stock Exchange, Social Impact
Leadership & Management
Indic Leadership; Enlightened Leadership; Leadership for Policymakers
Public Health
Global health; Health Systems Management; Hospital Administration; Health Governance; Strategic Planning of Healthcare Organisations
Public Administration & Policy
Policy Formulation, Analysis and Advocacy; Public HR Management; Performance Measurement of Public Agencies
Non-Profit Sector
Governing, Leading and Managing Non-Profits; Assessment of NGOs
Governance
Institutional Governance Reforms; Citizen-Centric Governance; Capacity Building; Good Governance and Anti-Corruption; Governance rooted in Indian Civilisational Wisdom
Higher Education
Academic leadership; Institution Development Plans; Global Service Learning; Higher Education Policy; Study Abroad Programmes
