B Prabhakaran: Driving Lloyds' Strategic Growth

Mr. Balasubramaniam Prabhakaran is the Managing Director of Lloyds Metals and Energy Limited, where his vision and leadership have transformed a dormant operation into one of India’s largest and most future-ready iron ore mining and processing ecosystems.

With over three decades of experience in the mining and infrastructure sector, Mr. Prabhakaran brings a rare combination of technical insight, operational depth, and systems-driven thinking to his role. He is also the founder and Managing Director of Thriveni Earthmovers, which he began in 1993 with a single excavator and has since scaled into one of India’s largest private MDOs.

In 2018, Mr. Prabhakaran took on the leadership of Lloyds Metals at a crucial turning point. The company’s operations in Surjagarh, Maharashtra, had long struggled to reach their full potential. Under his stewardship, Lloyds was restructured into a fully integrated mine-to-beneficiation operation. The transformation included everything from equipment upgrades and process redesign to human capital development and strategic infrastructure investments. Today, Lloyds stands as a vital player in the Indian steel supply chain and one of the largest iron ore producers in the country.

One of the most notable achievements under his leadership has been the commissioning of a state-of-the-art beneficiation plant, slurry pipeline, and associated logistics infrastructure, all designed with sustainability, efficiency, and scalability in mind. His systems-thinking approach has led to the introduction of in-pit crushing, low-emission transport, and advanced digital monitoring that reduce both carbon footprint and cost.

What distinguishes Mr. Prabhakaran’s leadership is his ability to drive operational excellence while embedding social impact into the business model. His approach to mining is not extractive but regenerative. From hiring local tribal youth as operators and technicians to building skill centres and supporting women-led livelihood programmes, the Lloyds ecosystem has become a model of how industrial growth can directly uplift underserved regions.

Mr. Prabhakaran’s work in Gadchiroli has had a transformative effect not just on the company, but on the region. Lloyds Metals today is not only a story of production and profit, but of partnerships, with local communities, with public institutions, and with a broader national vision for growth through inclusion. The Lloyds Infinite Foundation, which grew out of these ground-level efforts, now serves as a formal vehicle for the company’s long-term social investments in education, health, and empowerment.

Under his leadership, Lloyds has also embraced transparency and stakeholder confidence through financial prudence, ESG commitment, and robust corporate governance. The company is now poised to expand its portfolio, deepen its integration, and contribute meaningfully to India’s industrial roadmap.

Mr. Prabhakaran’s leadership philosophy is simple but powerful: systems must outlast individuals. Whether it is investing in long-term infrastructure or in human capital, his focus has always been on building platforms for sustainable value creation. He believes that every industrial milestone must also be a social one, and that real progress happens when communities grow alongside corporations.

As India moves towards becoming a five trillion dollar economy, Mr. Prabhakaran’s vision continues to shape Lloyds into not just a mining company, but a force for inclusive, innovation-led growth. His journey is a testament to how clarity of purpose, backed by technical strength and social responsibility, can redefine what modern Indian industry stands for.