India
Retired IPS Officer N Balasubramanyam Dies in New York at 61
By Swati Gandhi
N Balasubramanyam, a senior retired IPS officer and former Vice‑Chairman and Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), died on Thursday while receiving treatment for pancreatic cancer in New York. He was 61 years old. Arrangements are being made to bring his remains to his Hyderabad residence.
Balasubramanyam, a 1994‑batch IPS officer from the Andhra Pradesh cadre, retired from service in August this year. He was known as a “no‑nonsense” officer and was affectionately called Balu by his peers. His policing career included postings as Superintendent of Police in Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts (now in Telangana). He held senior positions such as Inspector‑General (Intelligence), Transport Commissioner, Additional Director‑General of Police, and Director‑General of Police (Organisation).
He earned a B.Tech from Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College and an EMBA in Business Administration and Management from NYU Stern School of Business. In Andhra Pradesh he headed e‑Pragati and the Real Time Governance Society (RTGS) as chief executive officer before becoming APSRTC Vice‑Chairman and Managing Director in early 2026.
Balasubramanyam designed and implemented an intelligence collection, collation and analysis framework for the state government. He also pioneered contactless, paperless and cashless transport services, eliminating the need for in‑person interaction for vehicle registration, ownership transfers, permits and driving licences. As CEO of e‑Pragati, he introduced a hackathon‑based vendor selection process and a procurement model based on story points, cutting procurement and vendor selection timelines to seven working days. He oversaw the delivery of 223 revamped government‑to‑citizen services within a year, supporting 50,000 concurrent users, and built a 400‑member team.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, IT Minister Nara Lokesh, Transport Minister Mandipalli Ramprasad Reddy, Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta, and Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy all expressed their condolences, highlighting Balasubramanyam’s integrity, administrative excellence, and commitment to public service.
Frequently asked questions
What position did N Balasubramanyam hold at APSRTC?
He was the Vice‑Chairman and Managing Director of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation.
What education did he receive?
He earned a B.Tech from Velagapudi Ramakrishna Siddhartha Engineering College and an EMBA in Business Administration and Management from NYU Stern School of Business.
What reforms did he implement in e‑Pragati?
He introduced a hackathon‑based vendor selection process and a procurement model based on story points, cutting procurement and vendor selection timelines to seven working days.