Kalanithi Maran
Birth nameKalanithi Murasoli Maran
Birth date24 July 1964 (age 62)
Birth placeChennai, Tamil Nadu, India
OccupationMedia proprietor
Known forFounder & Chairman of the Sun Group
SpouseKavery Maran
ParentsMurasoli Maran
Mallika Maran
Alma materLoyola College, Chennai
University of Scranton

Kalanithi Maran (born 24 July 1964) is an Indian billionaire media proprietor. He is the founder and chairman of Sun Group, one of India's largest media conglomerates.[1][2][3] He owns multiple television channels, newspapers, weeklies, FM radio stations, DTH services, a movie production house (Sun Pictures), and three cricket team franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League, Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 League in South Africa and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred in England.[4] He also held a major share in the Indian airline SpiceJet from 2010 to 2015.[5][6]

Maran won Young Businessman awards from CNBC and Ernst & Young,[7] and Forbes magazine named him the "Television king of southern India".[8] As of November 2025, his net worth is US$2.57 billion.[9]

Early life

Maran was born to former Union Minister Murasoli Maran in Chennai on 24 July 1964.[10] He is the grand-nephew of former Tamil Nadu chief minister M. Karunanidhi.[11][12]

Maran attended the Don Bosco Matriculation Higher Secondary School and continued his education through Loyola College, Chennai. To finish his formal education, he traveled to the United States, earning his MBA from the University of Scranton.[13] Maran was fascinated by the number of television channels available there, whereas India still had only one due to the Doordarshan monopoly.[citation needed]

Career

Upon completing his MBA, he returned to India in 1987 to work for his family's small publishing company, which included a weekly women's magazine. In 1990, Maran started a monthly video magazine in Tamil called Poomaalai. For every copy given to a public library, about 200 pirated copies were produced. The primary market of Poomaalai was Sri Lankan Tamils who fled to Europe.[14] On the 14th of April 1993, he founded Sun TV.[14][15] Sun TV was listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange on the 24th of April 2006 upon raising $133 million for 10% of the share capital, making Maran a billionaire.[16][17] He was a representative at a roundtable with the visiting then United States president Bill Clinton.[18]

Under his leadership, channels owned by the Sun TV Network became some of the most viewed and commercially successful channels in South India. Sun TV was also the first channel in the country to establish its own earth station.[18]

In June 2010, he acquired a 37% stake in SpiceJet from billionaire investor Wilbur Ross and promoter Bhupendra Kansagra, in his individual capacity and through his aviation company, KAL Airways. He also put up an open offer for 20%, which increased his stake to more than 50%.[6][19][20]

Maran and his wife, Kavery, were ranked the highest paid business executives in the list of Indian executive pay charts with a package of ₹62 each in 2014.[21]

On 24 February 2015, he sold his stake in SpiceJet to Ajay Singh, the co-founder of the airline, as part of a reconstruction and revival scheme, since the airline was facing huge losses.[22][23]

In 2023, he was the 77th-richest Indian, with a net worth of US$3 billion. The same year, his production house, Sun Pictures, produced Jailer, starring South-Indian actor Rajnikanth, which went on to become the highest performing film of 2023 and second-highest grossing Tamil film of all-time.[9]

Personal life

Maran married Kavery, a native of Kodagu. They have a daughter, Kaviya Maran, who is the CEO of his multiple cricket franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad in the Indian Premier League and Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa T20 League and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred in England.[11][12]

References

  1. ^ "From cable TV to aviation biz, Maran's march continues". The Financial Express. 13 July 2010. Archived 9 September 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  2. ^ "Sun, Zee remain top on profitability charts". Rediff.com. 31 December 2004. Archived 15 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  3. ^ Srikar Muthyala (29 September 2015). "The List of Great Entrepreneurs of India in 2015". MyBTechLife. Archived 14 January 2016 at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ^ Mishra, Aditya (2021-04-06). "IPL Team Owners. List Of All IPL 2021 Team Owners". Voice of Indian Sports - KreedOn. Archived 29 May 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2021-06-29.
  5. ^ "Strategic investor crucial for global foray". The Times of India. 6 April 2010. Archived 3 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
  6. ^ "Kalanidhi Maran buys 37.7 p.c. stake in SpiceJet". The Hindu. 2010-06-13. Archived from the original on 2010-08-24. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  7. ^ "Welcome To Sun Network". Sunnetwork.org. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  8. ^ "#20 Kalanithi Mar". Forbes. 18 November 2009. Archived 8 August 2010 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  9. ^ "Kalanithi Maran". Forbes. Archived 2024-02-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  10. ^ "Kalanithi Maran: Movies, Photos, Videos, News, Biography & Birthday | Times of India". The Times of India. Archived 2023-12-10 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  11. ^ "Meet Kalanithi Maran, Kavya Maran's dad whose family salary was Rs 1500 crore, net worth is...". DNA India. 2023-04-20. Archived 2023-04-20 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  12. ^ "MEDIA MARAN". Tehelka. 9 June 2007. Archived 19 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 22 July 2013.
  13. ^ "The story of Marans: Sun King and his brother". Business Standard. 30 August 2014. Archived 28 January 2018 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 28 January 2018.
  14. ^ Karmali, Naazneen (30 November 2009). "Strong Signal". Forbes. Archived 29 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 8 August 2010.
  15. ^ "Rediff India Abroad, April 28, 2006 – Kalanithi Maran: A 'Sunshine' story, by Sanjiv Shankaran and S. Bridget Leena in New Delhi". Rediff.com. Archived 21 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  16. ^ "Kalanithi Maran emerges a billionaire after maiden IPO". Archived 9 November 2014 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 November 2014.
  17. ^ Iyer, Shilpa Bharatan (2006-04-25). "Sun TV shines on Exchange". Variety. Archived from the original on 2024-05-28. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  18. ^ "Media Personalities – Kalanidhi Maran". Chennai Best. Archived 12 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 24 January 2012.
  19. ^ "New deal to take SpiceJet higher". Business Standard. 2010-06-15. Archived from the original on 2011-06-07. Retrieved 2010-08-08.
  20. ^ "Shareholding Pattern for March 31, 2014". Bombay Stock Exchange. 2014-05-17. Archived 2024-05-28 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  21. ^ "Newsmaker: Kalanithi Maran". Business Standard. Archived from the original on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2024-05-28. Media tycoon Kalanithi Maran, who has for years made news for paying himself and his wife the highest salaries in India, is now facing turbulent times
  22. ^ Mishra, Lalatendu (2015-01-15). "SpiceJet stock price up as ownership changes" (in en-IN). The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Archived 2022-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.
  23. ^ "How Kalanithi Maran Lost SpiceJet" (in en-IN). Forbes India. Archived 2015-01-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2024-05-28.