Kaviya Maran is CEO of Sunrisers Hyderabad and Executive Director of Sun TV Network. Born August 6, 1992, she’s 33, worth ~₹409 crore, and one of India’s most powerful young businesswomen.
Kaviya Maran is one of the most compelling figures in Indian sport and business today. As the CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad, she has become the face of a franchise — visible at every match, present at every auction, and deeply invested in every result. But the woman seen in the SRH dugout is also an executive director of Sun TV Network, one of Asia’s largest media conglomerates, and the heir to a business dynasty that has shaped Indian media for over three decades.
She took charge of Sunrisers Hyderabad in 2018 at just 25 and has since grown the franchise’s global footprint across three continents. In 2025 alone, she appeared on Fortune India’s list of the most powerful women in business, GQ’s 35 Most Influential Young Indians, and The Hollywood Reporter India’s Women in Entertainment Power List. That accumulation of recognition reflects something real: Kaviya Maran has not simply inherited a seat at the table — she has built her own.
Quick Facts About Kaviya Maran
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Kaviya Kalanithi Maran |
| Date of Birth | August 6, 1992 |
| Age | 33 (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Profession | Businesswoman, Cricket Franchise Owner |
| Net Worth | ~₹409 crore (~$50 million, est. 2026) |
| Father | Kalanithi Maran (Chairman, Sun Group) |
| Mother | Kavery Maran (Joint MD, Sun TV Network) |
| Marital Status | Unmarried |
| Education | B.Com, Stella Maris College, Chennai; MBA, Warwick Business School, UK |
| Known For | CEO, Sunrisers Hyderabad; Executive Director, Sun TV Network |
Growing Up in a Media Dynasty
Kaviya was born on August 6, 1992, in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, into one of South India’s most influential business families. Her father, Kalanithi Maran, built the Sun Group from a single television channel — Sun TV, launched in 1993 — into a media empire encompassing over 30 television channels, FM radio stations, the Sun NXT OTT platform, film production through Sun Pictures, and cricket franchises. The group’s valuation stood at an estimated $5.3 billion in 2025.
Her mother, Kavery Maran, serves as Joint Managing Director of the Sun Group and is among India’s highest-paid businesswomen. On her father’s side, Kaviya’s grandfather was Murasoli Maran, a former Union Minister of Commerce, and her uncle is Dayanidhi Maran, a prominent DMK politician. The Maran family sits at the intersection of Indian media and political influence — and Kaviya grew up understanding both worlds.
Her childhood was marked by exposure to large-scale enterprise from an early age. Fluent in Tamil, English, and Hindi, she developed a global perspective through family travel while remaining rooted in her South Indian identity. The business instincts she displayed later were not accidental — they were absorbed over years of watching a family empire operate at scale.
Education: From Chennai to Warwick
Kaviya completed her schooling in Chennai before enrolling at Stella Maris College — one of Tamil Nadu’s most respected institutions for women — where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce degree in 2012. The choice to study locally, in the city where her family’s business was headquartered, reflected both practicality and an early orientation toward the work ahead.
She then moved to the United Kingdom to pursue an MBA at Warwick Business School in Coventry, graduating in 2016. Warwick gave her formal grounding in global business strategy, finance, and management — skills she would apply directly upon returning to India and joining the family enterprise.
Building a Career Within the Sun Group
After completing her MBA, Kaviya joined Sun TV Network and began building her operational understanding of the business from within. She initially took charge of operations for Sun TV and Sun Music, two core channels in the network’s portfolio. Rather than moving immediately into high-visibility leadership roles, she worked across the business and learned its rhythms.
Her ascent within the Sun Group was measured and substantive. In 2020, she was elevated to Executive Director of Sun TV Network Limited — a formal recognition of her growing strategic role within the conglomerate. In this capacity, she has contributed to digital expansion, sports broadcast acquisitions, and the long-term growth strategy of one of India’s most-watched media networks.
The Sunrisers Hyderabad Chapter
Sun TV Network acquired the Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise in 2012 for ₹850 crore, after the Deccan Chargers were terminated from the IPL. The team won the IPL title in 2016, the same year Kaviya was finishing her MBA in the UK.
She took formal charge of the franchise in 2018 and has been its defining public presence ever since. Her approach to team management is data-informed and long-term in orientation — she focuses on auction strategy, squad planning, and brand positioning rather than match-day tactics, which she leaves to the coaching staff. Her consistent attendance at matches, in the stands and the dugout, signals the depth of her personal investment in the team.
Under her leadership, SRH reached the IPL 2024 final — their first in years — where they lost to Kolkata Knight Riders. Her visible distress during that defeat, which she briefly tried to hide before returning to support her players, became one of the season’s most discussed moments and won her considerable affection from fans across India.
A Global Cricket Portfolio
Kaviya has been central to the Sun Group’s expansion beyond the IPL. She oversees Sunrisers Eastern Cape, the Sun Group franchise in South Africa’s SA20 League, extending the Sunrisers brand to a new continent and competition.
In a significant move in 2025, the Sun Group acquired Northern Superchargers — a franchise in England’s The Hundred competition — for ₹1,094 crore. The franchise was subsequently rebranded as Sunrisers Leeds. With this acquisition, Kaviya now heads three cricket franchises across three continents: Sunrisers Hyderabad in India, Sunrisers Eastern Cape in South Africa, and Sunrisers Leeds in England. Few franchise operators in world cricket, of any age or gender, oversee a portfolio of that scope.
Recognition and Awards
Kaviya’s work has earned recognition across business and sports circles. In January 2024, she received the “Face and Force Behind Sunrisers Hyderabad” award at the Devi Awards — a direct acknowledgment of her leadership in transforming the franchise. In 2023, she became the youngest businesswoman to feature on India Today’s “100 Women Achievers of India” list.
In 2025, the recognitions multiplied: Fortune India ranked her at #46 on its Most Powerful Women in Business list; GQ included her in its 35 Most Influential Young Indians edition; and The Hollywood Reporter India placed her on its Women in Entertainment Power List. For a 33-year-old, the consistency of that recognition across very different publications reflects a genuinely cross-sectoral impact.
Personal Life
Kaviya is unmarried and has consistently kept her personal life private. No public relationship has been confirmed, and she rarely addresses personal questions in interviews. Her focus, in every public appearance and statement, is on the work — the teams, the business, the next move.
She does not maintain a prominent personal social media presence in the way many public figures of her age do, which has only deepened public curiosity about her. During IPL seasons, her courtside reactions — joy, anxiety, and the occasional tearful moment — offer the most unguarded glimpses of who she is beyond the boardroom.
Net Worth and Financial Standing
Kaviya’s estimated personal net worth is approximately ₹409 crore (~$50 million) as of 2026, derived from her equity stake in the Sun Group, her executive compensation from Sun TV Network, and the franchise ownership structures of the three Sunrisers teams. Her father, Kalanithi Maran, has a net worth estimated by Forbes at around ₹19,000–25,000 crore — one of the largest personal fortunes in South India.
The Sun Group’s broader assets, including Sun TV Network’s market valuation, film production, digital streaming, and cricket holdings, make it one of the most diversified media and entertainment conglomerates in Asia.
Final Thoughts
Kaviya Maran’s story is one of earned inheritance. She was born into extraordinary privilege, but she has not coasted on it — she completed two degrees, worked her way through the operational layers of a complex business, and built a cricket franchise portfolio that is genuinely global. The IPL gave her visibility; what she has done with that visibility reflects clear strategic thinking and real emotional investment in the work.
At 33, she is still near the beginning of what could be a decades-long career at the center of Indian media and sport. The Sunrisers brand, now spanning three countries, is in many ways her creation — even if the financial foundation was her father’s. That distinction matters, and it speaks well of what she has chosen to build.
People Also Ask
Who is Kaviya Maran?
Kaviya Maran is an Indian businesswoman and the CEO and co-owner of Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL. She is also the Executive Director of Sun TV Network and the daughter of media billionaire Kalanithi Maran, founder of the Sun Group.
What is Kaviya Maran’s net worth?
Her estimated net worth is approximately ₹409 crore (~$50 million) as of 2026. Her wealth comes from equity in the Sun Group, her executive role at Sun TV Network, and franchise ownership stakes in the Sunrisers teams across IPL, SA20, and The Hundred.
Which cricket teams does Kaviya Maran own?
She heads three cricket franchises: Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL (India), Sunrisers Eastern Cape in the SA20 League (South Africa), and Sunrisers Leeds in The Hundred (England), following the Sun Group’s ₹1,094 crore acquisition of Northern Superchargers in 2025.
Is Kaviya Maran married?
No. As of 2026, Kaviya Maran is unmarried and keeps her personal life strictly private. She has not publicly confirmed any relationship.
What awards has Kaviya Maran won?
She received the “Face and Force Behind Sunrisers Hyderabad” award at the Devi Awards in January 2024. In 2023, she became the youngest entrant on India Today’s “100 Women Achievers of India” list. She has also appeared on Fortune India’s Most Powerful Women list and GQ’s 35 Most Influential Young Indians in 2025.
