Dr. Nataraj Balasubramanian

AREA OF EXPERTISE: Marketing, Analytics & AI

Education:

D. in Customer Relationship Management, Bharathiar University | 2014–2019
MBA in Finance & Marketing, Thiagarajar School of Management | 2007–2009
Tech. in Industrial Biotechnology, Adhiyamaan College of Engineering, Hosur | 2003–2007

BIO:

Dr. Nataraj Balasubramanian is an academician, researcher, consultant, and management educator specializing in Business Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, Marketing Analytics, and Customer Relationship Management at Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM), Madurai. His work focuses on integrating analytics and AI with strategic business decision-making and translating complex data into actionable managerial insights.

He currently serves as Chairperson – Management Development Programs (MDP) at TSM, where he leads the design and execution of professional education initiatives for industry. He has also contributed to the development of specialized certification programmes in Generative AI, bridging academic knowledge with industry applications.

Dr. Nataraj teaches and designs courses in Applied Business Analytics, AI for Managers, Analytical Customer Relationship Management, Deep Learning, and Advanced Marketing Analytics. He also facilitates a value-added course, Art and Science of Healthy Living, integrating Yoga and Meditation into management education.

Beyond academics, he has extensive consulting and executive education experience across sectors including jewellery retail, construction, FMCG, healthcare management, supply chain, and automotive. His consulting assignments include new business model design, Agri-Business Strategy, Healthcare Management Business Strategy, Data-Driven Sales & Marketing, and Business Intelligence.

He has served as a resource person for leading organizations including Accenture India, Neyveli Lignite Corporation, Hi-Tech Arai, and SPIC, delivering programmes on Business Analytics, Business Intelligence, Innovation, Thought Leadership, and AI-enabled customer experience.

Dr. Nataraj is also actively involved in mentoring students through Quantrix – the Analytics and Consulting Club at TSM, where he guides students in applying analytics and data-driven approaches to real-world business challenges.

SUBJECT TAUGHT / STUDENT PROJECT MENTOR:

EXPERIENCE:

Thiagarajar School of Management (TSM), Madurai

Chairperson – Management Development Programs (MDP)
Faculty specializing in Business Analytics, Marketing Analytics, Artificial Intelligence, and Customer Relationship Management
Faculty In-charge, Quantrix – Analytics and Consulting Club
Develops and delivers industry-oriented courses and certification programmes in Analytics, AI, and emerging technologies.
Mentors students in applying analytics to real-world business problems.

CONSULTING & INDUSTRY ENGAGEMENT:

Dr. Nataraj has undertaken consulting and executive education assignments across jewellery retail, construction, FMCG, healthcare, supply chain, automotive, and other sectors.

His consulting areas include:

New Business Model Design
Agri-Business Strategy
Healthcare Management Business Strategy
Business Analytics
Business Intelligence
Data-Driven Sales & Marketing
Customer Experience
Marketing Analytics
Innovation and Thought Leadership

MANAGEMENT DEVELOPMENT & EXECUTIVE EDUCATION:

Accenture India Pvt. Ltd. — Management Development Programme on Online-Offline-Online (O2O2) Phygital Consumer Experience in the Automotive Industry, focusing on AI in Consumer Experience and VR/AR in automobile marketing.
Accenture India Ltd. — Thought Leadership and Innovation through Industry–Academia Convergence.
Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) — Management Development Programmes on System Orientation and Business Intelligence.
TSM — Management Development Programme on Data Driven Strategies for Sales and Marketing.
TSM — Management Development Programme on Business Analytics and Data Visualization.
DG Vaishnav College, Chennai — Seminar on Business Analytics – The New DNA of Business.
John College of Engineering and Management, Maharashtra — Session on Technology Empowered Marketing.
Kumaraguru College of Technology, Coimbatore — Guest lecture on Applications of Conjoint Analysis and Sentiment Analysis in Product and Services Management.
Easwari Engineering College, Chennai — Guest lecture on Design Thinking and Business Innovation.

RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS:

Dr. Nataraj’s research interests include Predictive Analytics, Customer Analytics, Relationship Marketing, Business Analytics, Relationship Quality, Sustainability, and Technology-enabled business decision-making.

His research has appeared in reputed peer-reviewed international journals, including Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Measuring Business Excellence, Journal of Health Organization and Management, Transportation Planning and Technology, and International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management.

Selected publications include:

“Barriers to transparency and information sharing in manufacturer–distributor relationships: An Indian FMCG context” — International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (2026), ABDC-A, Scopus Q1.
“From data to decision: HLOC’s strategy for mitigating supplier compliance risk” — SAGE Business Cases Originals (2026).
“Exploring barriers to complementary and alternative medicine adoption in India: an ISM-MICMAC analysis” — Journal of Health Organization and Management (2025).
“Sustainable Transportation in developing countries: Uncovering the factors influencing Electric Vehicle Purchase in India” — Transportation Planning and Technology (2024), Scopus indexed, ABDC-B.
“Demystifying the Antecedents of Brand Advocacy: Mediating the Role of Brand Love and Brand Passion” — Indian Journal of Marketing (2022), Scopus indexed, ABDC-C.
“Organisational sustainability scale – measuring employees’ perception on sustainability of organisation” — Measuring Business Excellence (2021), Scopus indexed, ABDC-B.
“Enhancing relationships in e-tail: role of relationship quality and duration” — Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services (2021), Scopus indexed, ABDC-A.
“Impact of Relationship Quality on Customer Retention – A Study with Reference to Retail Banking in India” — International Journal of Business & Information (2018), ABDC-C.

BOOK:

Analytical Customer Relationship Management — Tata McGraw Hill, 2026.

The book connects customer data, analytics, technology, and CRM strategy, reflecting Dr. Nataraj’s expertise at the intersection of marketing and analytics.

ACADEMIC & PROFESSIONAL CONTRIBUTIONS:

Chairperson – Management Development Programs, TSM
Faculty In-charge, Quantrix – Analytics and Consulting Club, TSM
Keynote Speaker, Alagappa University — AI in Economic Analysis (2026)
Session Chair, Taylor’s University, Malaysia — International Conference on Family Entrepreneurship Management Excellence (FAME), 2025
Evaluator, Young Entrepreneur School (YES), Madurai
Conducted Faculty Development Programmes on Statistical Software Packages for Social Science Research and Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling.
Delivered lectures and seminars on Business Analytics, AI, Marketing Technology, Design Thinking, Innovation, Business Intelligence, and Data-Driven Decision Making.

RESEARCH & ACADEMIC REVIEW:

Dr. Nataraj serves as a reviewer for reputed international journals, including:

Technological Forecasting and Social Change — ABDC-A
Marketing Intelligence & Planning — ABDC-A
Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services — ABDC-A
Journal of Knowledge Management — ABDC-A
Measuring Business Excellence — ABDC-B

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