Dr R. Balasubramaniam is an eminent development activist, writer and leadership trainer. After  getting  his degree  in  Medicine,  he earned  his  M.Phil  from the BITS, Pilani. He has a Master's degree in Public Administration from Harvard University. He founded the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement at the age of 19 and was the former head of the Vivekananda Chair at the University of Mysore. He is also the Frank Rhodes professor at the Cornell University, USA.