Saluting A Pioneer

Just
one year after CSI was established, Balasubrahmanian got his next
break as the Technical Secretary for the Advisory Group on Computers,
Ministry of Defense. Soon came the additional responsibility of
heading the computer systems of DRDO head quarters as its Director,
a position he held between 1971 and 1984. Almost during the same
period he was chosen as Officer on Special Duty for the Department
of Electronics where he was involved in drafting policies, programs
and projects pertaining to computers both within and outside defense.
“It was a challenging job. I had to manage the twin jobs within
and outside of the defense and I was available for both,” he remarks
with satisfaction. At a time when the industry suffered an MNC regime,
the need to augment more Indian organizations and PSUs to promote
self-reliance was most actively voiced by Balasubrahmanian. And
it resulted in the establishment of the Computer Maintenance Corp
(CMC) in Hyderabad in 1975 with Balasubrahmanian as one of its Directors.

A grand old man who has seen four decades
of growth and progress in the IT industry has observed the various
changes that have occurred over the years. From mainframes, mini-computers,
PCs, the hardware revolution, the booming software exports to the
internet invasion, he has seen it all. "In the 60s and 70s,
it was not a joke to buy a computer. The import laws were strict.
The FERA rules were rigid. There was a crunch for foreign exchange
and users had to justify the need to have a computer. And it would
be months before the computer arrived and got installed,” he reminisces.

However with the end of the MNC monopoly
in India by the mid-70s, the flood gates to the Indian IT industry
were opened. “Went mainframes and came in the era of mini-computers
and PCs,” he recalls. Then came the beginning of systems integration
which we jokingly called screwdriver engineering in those days”,
he chuckles. “For, the need to be self-reliant was something we
believed in and pushed for. The common slogan read: buy processors,
but at least build your PCBs,” he adds. Soon the peripherals policy
was in place. “I think we did succeed in our initial stages of triggering
the hardware revolution in this country,” he admits. But the component
industry suffered badly with the opening up of trade and tariffs.
The semi-conductor complex still remains a distant dream for him.
This is something which bothers him now. “As long as we are not
self-reliant we are vulnerable to any political or economic repercussions
that will happen in the world,” he says. The  recent Taiwan
earthquake that resulted in RAM prices shooting up eight times is
a case in point he draws attention to, justifying his observation.

He candidly admits that somewhere along
the line the software segment took a total turnaround of its own.
The ratio of hardware versus software at 70:30 just reversed in
the 80s. He is unhappy by the fact that people are working on projects
for others abroad while a lot needs to be done here. “Besides, the
focus should be on value-adds and indigenous development, rather
than on projects,” he states.

Even post-retirement he has kept himself involved with CSI and has
been the Indian representative to the International Federation for
Information Processing (IFIP), of which CSI is a member. He also
served IFIP as its Trustee and Vice President from 1983 to 1995.

He has played an important role in
designing various computer programs in IGNOU where he was appointed
Professor of Computers. He was also involved with the UNESCO study
group in designing a modular curriculum in computers in 1993-94.
“His contributions to introduction of various computer programs
in IGNOU is something. I still remember vividly,” says Dr Seshagiri.

He continues to be the Chairman of
the Advisory Committee on IT for Voluntary Health Education and
Rural Development Society, in Chennai to extend the reach of computers
to rural places. He also works as the member of the Advisory Committee
in the Ranganathan Center for Information Studies, Chennai which
holds periodic conferences and seminars on issues concerning the
computer industry. He is also working on his dream project presently–that
of making IT a powerful tool to help the disabled.

With such pioneering work to his credit
it is hardly surprising that he has been the recipient of several
awards and accolades. Balasubrahmanian has been honored with the
‘Ati Visisht Seva Medal’ for his distinguished service of an exceptional
order in driving a balanced growth of IT in the defense services.
He is also a ‘Fellow’ of the IIT.

Balasubrahmanian’s family shares a
great interest in the rich heritage of Indian culture including
music and dance. His wife is an exponent of carnatic music. She
sings for the radio and television and has been a music critic with
‘The Hindustan Times’ earlier. His daughter runs a Bharatnatyam
school in UK while his second son is a nuclear physicist in the
US. His third son is employed in an internet company in the US.

General Balasubramanian is a strong
believer that machines can’t replace man, but yet play a meaningful
role in enhancing human skills and quality of life. His greatest
fulfillment in life has been in maintaining a balance between work
in the defence forces and his role outside the defence in contributing
towards the growth of IT in India. General Balasubramanian’s contribution
to the Indian IT Industry has been to work with the deep understanding
that computers exist to reinforce human capabilities and drafting
policies and programs with this fundamental principle. General Balsubramanian
would like to see more meaningful application of computers that
can enhance people’s lives. His principle in life has been one of
trying to understand the other’s point of view always, even when
there are differences involved, to take up what comes your way and
make a good job of it. 

Akila Subramaniam

In Chennai