Balaram represented India in multiple international tournaments, including the Asian Games, the Mederka Cup and the Olympics.

Along with P. K. Banerjee and Chuni Goswami, Balaram was part of an acclaimed trio of players that helped propel India into what is widely regarded as its golden age of football during the 1950s and 60s.

[16] He then appeared with Ryders Club, and eventually impress chief guest, Indian manager Syed Abdul Rahim.

[3] Balaram was recruited to the India national team for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics and made his international debut against Yugoslavia.

Although they lost, the resulting score added to India's credibility within the group stage as the Hungarians beat Peru and France 6–2 and 7–0, respectively.

[23] India almost upset 1958 World Cup semi-finalists France a few days later, with Balaram playing a pivotal role in the 1–0 lead deep into second half.

[25] One of the more popular and widely recognized moments in his career came when India won the gold medal at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta.

[16] He was later appointed coach of Calcutta Mayor's XI, and guided the team in competitions like Gothia Cup in Sweden, and played a key role in bringing up players including Basudev Mandal, Mehtab Hossain, and Sangram Mukherjee.

"[25] Former Indian international defender Arun Ghosh described Balaram as a man who had "two eyes on the back of his head" due to the high quality of his ball distribution.

[25] Balaram, known for having a strong partnership with Chuni Goswami and P. K. Banerjee, is considered one of the "Indian football's holy trinity".

[3] After his death, players of both India and Kyrgyz Republic paid tribute to him ahead of the kick-off of the last game of the 2023 Tri-Nation International Tournament.