A Brief Profile of Our 64th President
RTN. ARUNASALAM BALRAJ
President – 2024/25
Rotary Club of Colombo West
Balraj grew up in Kandy and received his education at Trinity College, Kandy. His
father, a successful entrepreneur, greatly influenced Balraj’s business acumen.
Balraj moved to Colombo in 1983 to manage the family business and is currently the
Chairman of Gemini Stores (Pvt) Limited, a company with a 75-year legacy and the
Managing Director of The Gemtrans Engineering Company. The company has
diversified its operations to specialize in industrial belts and power transmission
products and is a major supplier to all manufacturing and export-oriented industries.
Balraj is renowned for his social entrepreneurship in leadership, project implementation,
and spiritual fields. He joined the Rotary Club of Colombo West in 2005, initially
engaging with them through the Youth Leadership Program of the Colombo
Toastmasters Club since 1993 where he served as President in 2002. During that time,
he was the Project Chairman of “Rural Voices Unlimited,” a transformative initiative by
Toastmasters District 82 in collaboration with the Rotary Club of Colombo West. This
program impacted over 200 schoolchildren across the country and was so successful
that the US State Department recognized it as a model for enhancing youth
communication and leadership in their Access English Training Course in over 66
countries.
In 2008, Balraj was honored as the Best Rotarian of the Year by the Rotary Club of
Colombo West.
Balraj further distinguished himself as the first South Asian to serve on the Board of
Toastmasters International, serving for seven years. He reached the pinnacle of his
Toastmasters journey when he was elected International President of Toastmasters in
August 2017, with its office in Denver, Colorado, USA. Additionally, Balraj’s extensive
global travel to over 90 countries has afforded him opportunities to meet with leaders in
various sectors, including industry, commerce, and government. These experiences
have enriched his perspectives and deepened his understanding of business and
service to humanity.
During his term on the International Board Balraj played a pivotal role in establishing a
historic partnership between Rotary and Toastmasters providing communication and
leadership programs to Rotary. Today, he mentors numerous individuals across
corporate and non-profit sectors globally and locally. Balraj was also a visiting faculty
member at the Bandaranaike Centre for International Studies in Colombo, where he
shared his experiences in communication and leadership.
Balraj is married to Sarumathy and is the proud parent of Avisha, a dentist who is
married to Manoj, and a doting grandfather to his grandson, Anagh. His younger
daughter, Mahishaa, is an engineer and IT specialist who is currently on a US State
Department Fellowship Program in Washington, DC.
Our club is privileged to have Balraj as our President in the upcoming Rotary year
