29.9.21

Tribute on Dr. Bala Balachandran, Founder, Great Lakes Institute of Management

Mr.N.Srinivasan, Vice- Chairman & MD, The India Cements Ltd.

"It is with profound grief that I pay my heartfelt Tribute to my dear friend, Dr Bala Balachandran, Founder, Great Lakes Institute of Management. In my long association with Bala , I have found him as a True Visionary, Management Guru and a Modern Thought Leader par excellence. I fondly remember, two decades ago, it was that time when Chennai was on the cusp of achieving a big transformation and emerging as a top investment destination, driven by IT and auto boom. Bala, who was then a distinguished Professor in Kellogg, pursued with passion and mission his dream of establishing an international B School in Chennai. True to his mission, he made Chennai and TN proud by establishing Great Lakes institute of Management in 2004 which over the years has turned into a Temple of Learning not only for management students with excellent placement record, but also for leading Corporates for developing leaders for tomorrow. I fondly remember visiting the Campus in November, 2018 and how he inspired and motivated Senior executives of India Cements when he addressed them from USA at the launch of an unique customised leadership development programme, designed and delivered by GLIM. In June 2019 ,at the invitation of Prof Bala, I had the opportunity for sharing my thoughts on the challenges and opportunities for sustaining family business in the context of globalised business environment at the Summit organised by GLIM. I am all the more proud that through GLIM, he has firmly put Chennai on the international map of management education. I have no doubt that GLIM will remain for ever his landmark contribution to the city he loved the most".