C. Balagopal

C. Balagopal
Born
Balagopal Chandrasekhar

(1952-10-02) 2 October 1952
Kollam, Kerala, India
EducationB.A. and M.A. in economics, Loyola College, Chennai
University of Madras
OccupationsEntrepreneur, Author and former Civil servant
Known forFounder of Terumo Penpol

Balagopal Chandrasekhar (born 2 October 1952), better known as C. Balagopal, is an Indian entrepreneur, author and former Indian Administrative Service officer.[1] He founded Peninsula Polymers, also known as Penpol, India's first blood-bag manufacturing company. It later became Terumo Penpol after a joint venture with the Japanese company Terumo.[2] He served as part-time chairman of Federal Bank from November 2021 to June 2023.[3] In September 2024, he was appointed chairman of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC).[4]

Early life and education

Balagopal was born in Kollam, Kerala. He spent much of his childhood on tea and rubber estates in the Nilgiri Hills and Wayanad, where his father worked as a manager. He attended The Lawrence School, Lovedale, studied economics at Loyola College, and completed a master's degree in economics from the University of Madras. He later joined a doctoral programme at the University of Kerala.[1][5]

Career

Balagopal passed the civil services examination in 1976 and joined the IAS in 1977. He was allotted the Manipur cadre and first worked in Tamenglong. He later served in Ukhrul and Imphal West. In 1980, he went on deputation to Kerala, where he served as a sub-divisional officer in Kollam and later worked in a state public-sector undertaking.[1][6] He resigned from the service in 1983.[7][8][9]

After leaving the IAS, Balagopal founded Peninsula Polymers, also known as Penpol, to manufacture biomedical devices using technology developed by the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology (SCTIMST).[5][2] The company was incorporated in 1985, and its first blood-bag plant began production in 1987.[1] In 1999, Penpol formed a joint venture with Terumo Corporation and became Terumo Penpol.[10] The company became one of the largest manufacturers of blood-bag systems and exported its products to more than 50 countries.[11][8][5] Balagopal sold his stake to Terumo in 2011 and stepped down as managing director in 2013.[12][2]

After leaving Terumo Penpol, Balagopal became an investor and mentor to start-ups. He has served on the board of TIMed, the medical-device incubator at SCTIMST. He and his wife, Vinita Nambiar, also set up the ANAHA Trust, which supports health, education and rural livelihood projects in Kerala and Manipur.[1][8][13]

Balagopal served as an independent director on the board of Federal Bank and was its part-time chairman from 22 November 2021 to 28 June 2023.[3][14][15] He was appointed chairman of KSIDC in September 2024 and continues to hold the post.[4][13]

Works

Balagopal's books cover his years in public service and the growth of industry in Kerala. His first book was based on his time as a young officer in Manipur.[16]

  • On a Clear Day You Can See India: The Little World of the District Official (2013)[6][16]
  • The View from Kollam: A Day in the Life of a Sub-collector (2015)[8][17]
  • Maveli & Markets: How Supplyco Held the Price Line (2019)[9]
  • Below the Radar: The Untold Story of How Modern Manufacturing Grew by Stealth in Kerala (2023)[12]

Awards

In 1995, Balagopal received the National R&D Award for the successful commercialisation of indigenous technology from the Ministry of Science and Technology.[7][8]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Wangchuk, Rinchen Norbu (12 February 2021). "Kerala Man Quit IAS & Built India's Biggest Manufacturer of Blood Bags". The Better India. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 Express News Service (28 January 2015). "An Entrepreneur and a Story-Teller". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  3. 1 2 "Appointment of Mr. C. Balagopal as the Part Time Chairman of the Bank". Federal Bank. 10 September 2021. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  4. 1 2 Dhanam News Desk (30 September 2024). "Bureaucrat-turned-entrepreneur to head Kerala's industry body". Dhanam. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 "KLF -SPEAKER-2023- C BALAGOPAL". keralaliteraturefestival.com. keralaliteraturefestival. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 DATTA, SRAVASTI. "People-administrative stories". No. 6 Dec 2013. The Hindu. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  7. 1 2 TNN (14 April 2014). "Ex-IAS officer pens book on troubled northeast". The Times of India. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "C Balagopal Founder - Terumo Penpol Ltd. Mentor to startups and Investor". restartindia.in. restartindia. Archived from the original on 8 June 2023. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  9. 1 2 NAGARAJAN, SARASWATHY (12 June 2019). "C Balagopal writes on the launch of Maveli stores in Kerala". The Hindu. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Strong pitch for increasing domestic production through 'Make in Kerala'". The Hindu. THE HINDU BUREAU. 3 February 2023. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  11. ↑ "About Terumo Penpol". terumopenpol.com. terumopenpol. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  12. 1 2 NAGARAJAN, SARASWATHY. "C Balagopal's book 'Below The Radar' debunks notions about Kerala being an investor-unfriendly State". No. 23 Jan 2023. The Hindu. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  13. 1 2 "About Us". Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  14. ↑ R, Roshan (5 June 2023). "Kerala witnesses a new industrial revolution: Entrepreneur and Federal Bank chairman C Balagopal". Mathrubhumi. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  15. ↑ "Federal Bank's new premises inaugurated". The Hindu. THE HINDU BUREAU. Retrieved 9 June 2023.
  16. 1 2 Rao, K. V. L. Narayan (30 September 2013). "Book review: On a clear day you can see India". NDTV. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "The View from Kollam: A Day in the Life of a Sub-collector". HarperCollins India. Retrieved 14 August 2026.
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