He strongly believes that the great pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do. In fact, in pursuing that he has shaped up his vision in a unique fashion. Kalanidhi Maran is a winner in the strictest sense of the term and while most are dreaming of success, he wakes up and works hard to achieve that. While channeling his vision, Maran aims higher to become the number one media baron in the entire country. Chairman and Managing Director of the Sun Network, Kalanidhi Maran is unquestionably the king of Satellite Television in South India. Sun TV, which kick-started the Satellite Television revolution in the south, remains the most viewed Tamil satellite television channel. Under the umbrella of the Sun Network, Maran has a channel for each of the South Indian states - Udaya TV and Usha TV in Kannada, Gemini TV and Teja TV in Telugu and Surya TV in Malayalam. In fact his 20 channel Sun TV network is the largest in India with a 24 percent market share, which includes seven FM radio channels, two dailies and four magazines.

An MBA from Scranton University, Pennsylvania, Maran made his entry into the world of television with 'Poomaalai' - a Tamil video newsmagazine. Telecasting was the next logical step. His brand of leadership is marked by innovation and remaining miles ahead of competition. When news-based programming was looked upon as non-revenue-generating obligation, his was the first private channel in the country to telecast a Daily News Bulletin and the splendid success of Sun TV's News rewrote viewership and advertising projections.

He launched the network in 1993 when satellite television was beginning to spread its footprint in the country. He had big plans. "I wanted to move to other regions." And he did, taking on established networks like Eenadu in Andhra Pradesh and Asianet in Kerala. Today, under the able leadership of Maran, the Sun TV has also emerged the first channel in the country to set up its own earth station. Recipient of the International Young Business Achiever award in 1999 (from the Worldcom group, New York), Kalanidhi Maran also received CNBC 'Business Excellence Award' in 2005; Outstanding Businessman Award in the Entertainment and Information Sector in 2004; World's Young Achiever for Creativity in 1999 not to speak of host of other awards and recognitions. In the Forbes 2007 list of world's billionaires, he ranks 349th with his fortune of 2.6 billion.

He has created a space for ten channels in as many years. The Sun TV network seems to be going great guns under his dynamic and promising leadership. Maran's uncanny business sense coupled with the simple formula of providing infotainment to the esteemed viewers has ensured his success in the realm of India's fast growing media scenario.