Connecting MITians
The Outstanding Alumnus Award for 2022
The MIT Chromepet campus of Anna University, founded in 1949 by Sri C Rajam, is a unique Institution and carved a niche for itself in unconventional engineering courses. MITAA has the pleasure of honouring
R.BALAJI of Instrumentation Technology faculty, an alumnus from the 15 thbatch with Outstanding Alumnus Award for his yeomen service.
Mr.Balaji did his B.Sc in Physics from Loyola College in 1962 and got his DMIT (Instrumentation ) from MIT in 1966. He hails from Terazhundur near Mayiladuthurai.
He started his career in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre , Bombay under the guidance of 1st Batch MITian Dr.M.V.R.K.Murty for close to 4 years. For the next 9 years he was with Hawkins Pressure Cookers and Appliances developing medical optical instruments. He was very active in getting the Bombay Chapter of MITAA formed in 1968 and fully involved till he moved out of Bombay.
Keen to start a venture of his own, he established his own manufacturing unit, Industrial Ancillaries in 1978, specializing in the design, manufacture and supply of primary flow elements. IA was nurtured into a reliable source of supply and gained reputation in servicing flow measurement requirements be it liquid, vapour or gas media.
Later in 2006, IA Flow Elements Private Limited was formed by forging relationships with overseas partners Trust Technical Services Co. and then with RJ Technical Resources, UAE. The company has seen considerable growth servicing UK, Middle East, North America, European and Far East markets. He successfully sold his shares in the business in 2019 and presently continues to be actively involved in operating the company and in guiding the team.
He has been actively participating in all MITAA activities in various capacities including the role of President for two terms. Presently he guides as the PATRON of MITAA.
He is very generous in helping the students. He was instrumental in getting the bio gas plant installed for MIT mess. He has silently helped so many needy students both for educational and medical assistance multiple times. He and his wife Mrs. USHA BALAJI have been very active in getting the Foundation For Excellence Trust scholarship scheme benefitting hundreds of MIT students, which needs lot of coordination between the students and FFE. His daughter Ms. Anitashree Balaji is a Managing Director in the Carlyle Group of Companies, USA and she is also actively involved in the Fund Raising activities of FFE.
MITAA takes great pleasure in honouring R.BALAJI with the Outstanding Alumnus award in the year 2022 and wishes him all the good health and a very peaceful Senior Citizen Life.