Nationality Indian | ||
Born June 1, 1976 (age 40) ( 1976-06-01 ) Occupation Businessman and philanthropist | ||
Siddharth Balachandran (born June 1, 1976) is an Indian (NRI) businessman and philanthropist who established Buimerc Corporation as a multinational trading company based in Jebel Ali, Dubai.
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In 2011, Balachandran was named one of the most powerful non-resident Indian (NRI) businessmen in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region by Arabian Business.
Early life
Siddharth Balachandran was born on June 1, 1976 in Thiruvananthapuram, in the southern state of Kerala, India, to local businessman R. Balachandran and Sabita Varma Balachandran, a former officer in the Reserve Bank of India.
Balachandran received his initial schooling at the Asan Memorial School in Chennai and later, at the Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Ernakulam in Kerala. After studying Civil Engineering at Mysore University, Balachandran pursued a Masters in International Business from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. Balachandran continued his studies in business at the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. Although he graduated in civil engineering, he transitioned to management by gaining admission to the Indian School of Business.
Career
Balachandran began his career in 1999 as a Strategic Accounts Manager at Dun & Bradstreet Information Services, Chennai. Dun and Bradstreet is a US-based company licensed to gather information on businesses and corporations for use in marketing and management.
In 2006 Balachandran was named Vice Chairman of India Club Dubai. In 2010 he was named Chairman of the organization; Balachandran was 33 years old, making him the youngest Chairman in India Club Dubai's history.
Philanthropy
Balchandran is a vocal supporter of the Dubai Autism Centre and the Centre for Special Needs, Abu Dhabi. He is among the chief patrons of the Indian Social and Cultural Centre, Abu Dhabi, and the Indian Community Welfare Committee. Balachandran is listed as a Patron of the Science India Forum, UAE.
He worked with the Indian Community Welfare Centre to help families suffering from unemployment during the 2010 financial crisis, contributing 500,000 AED (Approximately 130,000 USD).