Karthik Balakrishnan is a Professor of Accounting and Deputy Dean for Faculty and Research at the Indian School of Business. His research studies capital stewardship — who is accountable for capital, and how well it is allocated — across asset managers, family offices, banks, individual investors, and corporate boards. His body of works has a particular focus on the information problems within each: who has what information, how it is produced, and what happens to capital allocation and welfare when that information is missing or distorted.

As a leading academic, Professor Balakrishnan currently serves as the Editor of The Accounting Review – the flagship journal of the American Accounting Association. He also serves on the editorial board of the Review of Accounting Studies and is an Editor of the Accounting Theory and Practice. He has published his research in leading academic outlets including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review and Review of Accounting Studies.

Prior to joining ISB, Professor Balakrishnan was a tenured Full Professor of Accounting at the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University, where he also served as Faculty Lead for the Undergraduate Business Program and Divisional Advisor at Hanszen College. He held the William S. Mackey, Jr. and Verne F. Simons Distinguished Associate Professorship. Before his time at Rice, he was an Assistant Professor of Accounting at London Business School (2014–2019) and at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania (2009–2013).

Professor Balakrishnan is the recipient of the Research Excellence Award at the Jones Graduate School of Business, Rice University for three consecutive years (2021-2024), Teaching Excellence Award at London Business School, multiple teaching awards at Rice University and the Indian School of Business, and the Excellence in Reviewing Award from the Journal of Accounting Research (2020, 2021).