Remembering ‘Bala Sir’ – Missed Beyond Measure

When one leads to leave a legacy, the leadership is focused on significance and not just success. Such people create the greatest impact and influence on those who look up to them.

I was privileged to have known ‘Bala Sir’ - S Balasubramanian Pillai, Executive Director & COO, Indian Machine Tool Manufacturers’ Association (IMTMA) and Bangalore International Exhibition Centre (BIEC) - who was admired for his unique leadership style that encouraged innovation, initiative, and collaboration.

On May 10, 2021, we lost our highly regarded Bala Sir to Covid-19. We say that the hour of death cannot be forecast, but when we say this, we imagine that hour as placed in an obscure and distant future. And when the unthinkable happens without any warning or sign, the loss becomes graver.

There is an irreparable kind of loss when a mentor passes away. It is not just the person who saw our true worth is lost, but we will be forever deprived of the wealth of wisdom we would have received from them in future.

It will take a long time for us to process this grief. As lost and sad I am that he is gone, I feel truly blessed of having been a recipient of his wisdom, generosity, and humor, which will live on in me.

It was an honor to have him as a phenomenal mentor who offered insightful observations and encouraged me to wear an entrepreneurial attitude.

All those who were close to him will always remember his kindness and the cheerful smile that would light up his face whenever he would meet a friend, acquaintance or stranger. An authentic leader with strong ethics and a gem of a person, he will always remain close to our heart.

We will miss ‘Bala Sir’ sorely, but his legacies will live on.

SOUMI MITRA
Editor-in-Chief
Modern Manufacturing India
soumi.mitra@magicwandmedia.in

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