Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramanian
Professor, Department of Engineering Design
IIT Madras | Head, CoERS & RBG Labs
Dr. Venkatesh Balasubramanian is a distinguished academic leader and innovator, renowned for his data-driven approach to solving complex societal challenges. As a Professor in the Department of Engineering Design at IIT Madras, and Head of both the Centre of Excellence for Road Safety (CoERS), a MoRTH-funded initiative, and RBG Labs, he has made pioneering contributions across road safety, trauma care, and manufacturing systems.
With a strong academic foundation, he has mentored 14 PhD and 61 master's students, published over 193 peer-reviewed papers, filed 11 patents (5 granted, 5 commercialized), and led over 56 research and consultancy projects valued at more than ₹267 crore (INR 2.67 billion). His work bridges research, policy, and real-world application, positioning him as a leading force in innovation for the public good.
Professor has been at the forefront of several high-impact innovations that have influenced national policy, technology development, and systemic reform. Few of his notable contributions are:
Integrated Road Accident Database (iRAD) Originally conceptualized as TARA in Tamil Nadu, it is a national platform adopted by MoRTH. It integrates multi-agency data from police, health, transport, and road authorities across all states and UTs to enable data-driven governance in road safety.
Suzhal Management System (SMS) & RBG Innovation Paradigm (RIP) His leadership in these frameworks has been instrumental in demonstrating how structured innovation frameworks can drive systemic change and enable disruptive transformation across industries.
Visionary Leaders for Manufacturing (VLFM) Co-chaired and developed the VLFM program, a national leadership initiative jointly offered by IIM Calcutta, IIT Kanpur, and IIT Madras, later aligned with the Make in India vision.
Trauma and Accident Emergency Initiatives (TAEI) & MAEI He played a pivotal role in developing the TAEI in Tamil Nadu and MAEI in Rajasthan—state-level trauma care systems built on lean operations. His framework served as the foundation for the “Innuyir Kaapoom – Nammai Kaakkum 48” policy, which ensures access to life-saving emergency care within the first 48 hours following a road crash.
Technological Innovations His technological innovations are equally groundbreaking, bridging gaps in safety and mobility.
- Intelliseat™: India’s first IoT-based, non-vision driver fatigue and performance monitoring system, which won the Auto Component of the Year (2018).
- SynkroScaff: A bioprosthetic scaffold for cardiac and plastic surgery, developed and commercialized through a startup.
- Shira Clamp: An innovative microvascular surgical clamp designed to reduce the technical skill required in reconstructive surgeries.
National Advisory Roles Professor Venkatesh Balasubramanian is a strategic advisor to the Governments of Rajasthan and Haryana on transport and road safety, a member of the Expert Advisory Group of MoRTH, and serves as an Independent Director on boards including the MPRDC, TNRDC, and IT Expressway Ltd.