Kalanithi Maran: The Media Mogul
Kalanithi Maran Bio/Wiki: Kalanithi Maran is an Indian businessman from Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He was born on July 24, 1964. He is the chairman and founder of Sun Group, one of Asia’s biggest media companies, which runs 37 TV channels, radio stations, newspapers, and a movie production house called Sun Pictures. He also owns Sunrisers Hyderabad, an IPL cricket team, and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa’s SA20 League.
Kalanithi went to Don Bosco School in Chennai and Loyola College, where he got a Bachelor’s degree in Commerce. He later earned an MBA from the University of Scranton in the United States. He started Sun TV Network in 1993, making it South India’s top TV company. His films, like Jailer in 2023, earned ₹580 crore, boosting his fame.
He entered aviation in 2006 with SpiceJet but sold it in 2015. In 2012, he bought Sunrisers Hyderabad, and in 2022, he added Sunrisers Eastern Cape, which won the SA20 title in 2023. In 2024, Sun Group took a 49% stake in Northern Superchargers in England’s The Hundred cricket league.
Kalanithi was named India’s richest filmmaker by Forbes in 2025. He lives in Chennai and keeps working to grow his business.
Read Also: Kavery Maran (Kalanithi Maran’s Wife) Biography, Husband, Father, Family, Net Worth
| Real Name | Kalanithi Maran |
| Profession | Businessman |
| Popular for | Being the owner of Sun Group |
| Date of Birth | 24 July 1964 (Friday) |
| Age (as of 2025) | 60 years |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamilnadu, India |
| Current Address | Boat Club Area, Chennai, Tamilnadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| School | Don Bosco School, Chennai, India |
| College | *Loyola College, Chennai *University of Scranton, USA |
| Educational Qualification | *Bachelor of Commerce (B.Com.) *Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Caste | Not Known |
| Zodiac Sign/Star Sign | Leo ♌ |
Body Measurements & Physical Stats:
| Age (as of 2025) | 60 years |
| Height | in centimeter: 173 cm in meter: 1.73 m in feet: 5′8” Inch |
| Weight in Kilogram | 75 kg |
| Weight in pounds | 165 lbs |
| Eye Colour | Black |
| Hair Colour | Black |
Kalanithi Maran Family Members & Their Relationship:
Kalanithi Maran comes from a Tamil Hindu family in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with deep political and business roots. Kalanithi Maran’s father, Murasoli Maran, was a Union Minister for Commerce and a key DMK leader who died in 2003. Kalanithi Maran’s mother, Mallika Maran, stayed out of public life, focusing on family.
Kalanithi Maran has a younger brother, Dayanidhi Maran, a DMK politician and former Union Minister for Telecom and Textiles. He has a sister, Anbukarasi Maran, a doctor who keeps a low profile. Kalanithi is the grand-nephew of former Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi, connecting him to the DMK’s sprawling clan.
Kalanithi Maran is married to Kavery Maran, from the Kodava Hindu community of Coorg, Karnataka. They married in 1991 after meeting through business networks—her insurance work linked to his media ventures. They have one daughter, Kaviya Maran (also spelled Kavya), born on August 6, 1992, who is the CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape and an executive director at Sun TV Network. Kalanithi and Kaveri live together in Chennai’s Boat Club area in a ₹100 crore mansion.
Read Also: Kaviya Maran (Kalanithi Maran’s Daughter) Biography, Age, Husband, Education, Net Worth and More
| Parents | Father: Late Murasoli Maran (DMK Leader) Mother: Mallika Maran |
| Siblings | Brother: Dayanidhi Maran (younger; DMK politician) Sister: Anbukarasi Maran (Doctor) |
| Wife | Kavery Maran |
| Children | Son: Not Known Daughter: Kavya Maran  |
| Martial Status | Married |
| Marriage Date | 1991 |
Kalanithi Maran Net Worth, Income & Salary:
Kalanithi Maran’s net worth in 2025 is estimated at USD 3.6 billion, which is about ₹30,289 crore. This figure comes from Forbes’ February 2025 update, which ranked him 83rd on India’s richest list. His wealth grew from $2.3 billion in 2021. Sun Network, his main company, runs 37 TV channels, radio stations, newspapers, and Sun Pictures, which made ₹580 crore from Jailer in 2023.
His cricket teams, Sunrisers Hyderabad and Sunrisers Eastern Cape, also add value—Sunrisers Hyderabad was valued at $1.3 billion in 2024 by Forbes, and Eastern Cape won SA20 in 2023. Kalanithi’s income includes his salary as Sun Network chairman. In FY21, he earned ₹78.5 crore, per DNA India, down from ₹87.5 crore in FY20, when he and his wife Kaveri topped India’s executive pay charts, per Forbes.
Sun Group’s revenue was ₹4,004 crore in FY15, per The Economic Times, and has likely grown, boosting his wealth. In 2024, Sun Group bought a 49% stake in Northern Superchargers for ₹1,094 crore, per India.com, adding to his assets. He owns a ₹100 crore mansion in Chennai’s Boat Club area and luxury cars like a Rolls-Royce Phantom VIII, though these are under Sun Group.
| Total Net Worth | ₹30,289 crore (approx as of 2025) |
Unique and Unknown Interesting Facts About Kalanithi Maran:
- Edited TV Shows Himself: When Sun TV started in 1993, Kalanithi wasn’t just the boss—he sat in the editing room cutting clips. The Times of India said he’d stay late picking the best shots for promos, even teaching his team tricks he learned from watching CNN in the US!
- Said No to Politics: After his dad, Murasoli Maran, passed away in 2003, DMK leader M. Karunanidhi offered Kalanithi a Chennai election ticket in 2004. He turned it down flat, telling Outlook in 2000, “I only watch politics”—choosing TV screens over vote banks!
- Gifted Rajinikanth a BMW: When Jailer made ₹580 crore in 2023, Kalanithi didn’t just celebrate—he handed Rajinikanth a shiny BMW X7 and gave director Nelson Dilipkumar and composer Anirudh Ravichander cars too. Hindustan Times said he threw in big cheques, making it a party!
- He Was a Radio Geek: As a teen, Kalanithi loved ham radios, chatting with strangers across the world. CurrentNews.in noted he got his own call sign, VU2PUG, and kept tinkering with tech, which later helped him build Sun Network’s signal strength!
- Met Bill Clinton: In 2000, when US President Bill Clinton visited India, Kalanithi was one of the few business guys invited to a roundtable chat. He pitched Sun TV’s future to Clinton, showing his big dreams early on!
- Bought a Team in a Week: In 2012, when the IPL needed a new Hyderabad team, Kalanithi saw the ad and jumped in. Rediff.com reported he finalized the Sunrisers Hyderabad deal—₹425 crore for five years—in just days, outsmarting bigger bidders!
- Started with a Tiny Loan: Sun TV kicked off with just $86,000, partly from a bank loan his dad backed. Business Standard said Kalanithi bet it all on one Tamil channel, turning that small cash into a media empire reaching 140 million homes!
- Dodged a Zee TV Flop: In 1992, Kalanithi pitched a Tamil show idea to Zee TV, but they said no. CurrentNews.in shared he didn’t sulk—instead, he started Sun TV, which beat Zee in South India and made him a billionaire by 2006!
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