Rajesh Balakrishnan has been the head of the Advanced Materials Division at Grasim Limited since February 2023.

He began his career in 1994 in textile manufacturing and subsequently held various positions at BASF in India, Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh. Returning to India in 2008, he served as Managing Director and President for South Asia at DyStar until 2013. During this time, he also chaired the Board of TexanLab, a testing services company acquired by DyStar in India. Prior to joining the Aditya Birla Group, he headed the industrial products division of Pidilite Industries Ltd. as Chief Business Officer.

Driven by a passion for skill development and industry standards, he founded and managed the Advanced Academy for Development of Textile Technologists (AADTT), a pioneering initiative with industry partners for training and skill development of textile professionals in India. He also established and chaired the Consortium of Green Fashion (CGF), a joint venture with Maharshi Karve Stree Shikshan Samstha aimed at promoting and setting sustainability standards in the textile and fashion industry. Additionally, he served as Vice President of the Textile Association of India (Mumbai Unit) and a Governing Council Member of the Furniture and Fittings Skill Council (FFSC) of India.

He has also served as an independent Director on the board of Connell Bros India Pvt. Ltd. and a member of the Circular Products and Materials Pathway Board of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD).

He holds a Bachelor of Science & Technology from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai (formerly known as UDCT), and is a former national volleyball player.