Kalanithi Maran is an influential media mogul in India and founder of Sun Group, one of the largest media conglomerates in India.
He rose to fame in the early 1990s when he founded Sun TV, a regional television network that grew into a vast media empire that included television, radio, newspapers, film production, etc
His business acumen has earned him a prominent place in the Indian business landscape and he owns the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Kalanithi’s strategic vision and business leadership transformed Sun Group into a media powerhouse, making him one of India’s wealthiest men.
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- Full name: Kalanithi Maran
- Date of birth: July 24, 1964
- Age: 60 years old
- Gender: Male
- Place of birth: Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India
- Nationality: Indian
- Occupation: Media owner, Businessman
- Parents: Murasoli Maran (father), Mallika Maran (mother)
- Siblings: Dayanidhi Maran (older brother)
- Spouse: Kavery Kalanithi
- Child: Kaviya Kalanithi Maran
- Relationship status: Married
- Religion: Hinduism
- Ethnicity: Tamil
- Net worth: $3.7 billion
Early life and education
Kalanithi Maran was born on 24 July 1964 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He is now 60 years old.
He comes from a politically influential family; His father, Murasoli Maran, was a prominent politician and Union Minister in India, and his uncle, M. Karunanidhi, served as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu.
Maran grew up in a family closely linked to the socio-political landscape of Tamil Nadu, along with his younger brother, Dayanidhi Maran, who later became a Union Minister.
Maran completed her studies at Don Bosco School in Chennai. He then studied at Loyola College, Chennai, earning a bachelor’s degree in commerce. Pursuing higher education abroad, he completed an MBA program at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania.
His studies in India and the United States helped shape his business skills, which he later directed into building Sun Group, a media empire that dominates South India.
Personal life
In 1991, Kalanithi Maran married Kavery Kalanithi, a native of Kodagu. The couple has a daughter, Kaviya Kalanithi Maran, who is actively involved in the family business and serves as CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the IPL and South Africa T20 League franchises. Surname.
Despite her wealth and media fame, Kalanithi and her family maintain a private lifestyle.
Kalanithi and Kavery are renowned as some of the highest-paid executives in India, regularly topping pay charts for corporate executives.
Career
Kalanithi Maran’s journey in the media industry began in 1990 when he founded Poomaalai, a Tamil video news magazine.
Although the venture faced setbacks due to piracy issues, it laid the foundation for his next big move. In 1993, Maran founded Sun TV, a regional television channel.
With initial investment sourced from personal savings and bank loans, Sun TV quickly became a household name in Tamil Nadu.
Over the years, Sun Group has expanded to include 33 television channels in multiple languages, radio stations such as Suryan FM, and newspapers and magazines such as Dinakaran.
Sun Group’s ventures eventually expanded into film production through Sun Pictures, which produced Tamil blockbusters. Kalanithi’s foray into sports included ownership of the IPL cricket team Sunrisers Hyderabad.
In addition to media, Maran briefly entered the aviation industry when he acquired a controlling stake in SpiceJet in 2010, although he later left the business.
prize
- Indian Television Academy Award for Best Television Channel (2001)
- CNBC Young Entrepreneur Award (2006)
- TiECON Chennai Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2009)
- Hurun India Most Respected Entrepreneur of the Year Award (2024)
Net worth
Kalanithi Maran’s estimated net worth is $3.7 billion. His wealth comes from his vast media empire, Sun Group, which includes television, radio, publishing and sports.
His company also owns a controlling stake in IPL team Sunrisers Hyderabad, adding to his portfolio of business ventures.
Argumentative
Kalanithi Maran has faced many controversies throughout his career, although none have significantly affected his business success.
One of the most notable controversies involved allegations that Maran and his brother, Dayanidhi Maran, had misused government resources by installing a private telephone switchboard at his residence in Chennai. .
The exchange was allegedly used for Sun TV’s business transactions without proper payments, leading to financial losses for state-run telecom companies BSNL and MTNL.
However, after years of litigation, both brothers were acquitted in 2018 due to insufficient evidence.
Another significant controversy related to his short-lived ownership of SpiceJet. Maran bought back shares in the struggling airline in 2010 and tried to turn things around.
However, by 2015, the airline ran into financial difficulties and Maran eventually sold its shares. Although several legal disputes arose after the sale, SpiceJet survived and Maran largely avoided personal legal consequences.
Social Media
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