For 15 years until 1982 Balan lived in Madras. His talents were versatile, varying from canvas to mosaic, from metal to wood and from sculpture to architecture. He executed Christian works in different parts of the country from the North - Rishikesh in the Himalayas - to the south and even to Sri Lanka. In Sri Lanka, he renovated the interior of St. Mary's Church at Negombo. He was the chief designer of the interior and the façade of the Stella Maris Cathedral in Port Blair, Andaman Islands. He later did more than 300 works related to churches and religious institutions during his tenure in Madras.