Shri Ajit Balakrishnan is a 6th batch alumnus of IIM Calcutta. He is a successful entrepreneur, an able business executive, and an admirable administrator. He had started his entrepreneurial venture with Rediffusion, an advertising firm now known as Rediffusion DY&R, which he co-founded when he was only 22. He later also co-founded PSI Data Systems in mid 80’s with two other partners hailing from Stanford.

Rediff.com, founded in 1995, was listed on NASDAQ in 2001. He led Rediff.com India Limited (Nasdaq: REDF) to win the prestigious 2016 CIO Choice Award for the best Enterprise Email Solution for three consecutive years. He also received the laudable award of Elite Strategic Business Communicator given by Association of Business Communicators of India in the year 2011. He was also named as the Chairman Emeritus of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). He has served as the Chairman of the Ministry of Information Technology, Govt. of India and also chaired a Committee appointed by India’s Ministry of Human Resource Development on ‘Research and Faculty Enhancement at the seven IIMs’.

Mr. Balakrishnan also served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Indian Institute of Management Calcutta for two successive terms spanning over ten years.