Tamil Nadu’s Richest Man: The 10 Names Driving the State’s Wealth in 2026
Is the tamil nadu’s richest man richer than many national industrialists? How many billionaires actually operate out of Chennai? And which industries dominate the list of the top 10 richest persons in Tamil Nadu? The answers reveal more than individual fortunes. They show how the state quietly built one of India’s strongest business ecosystems.
But before diving into the full ranking, are a few quick facts you must know about Tamil Nadu.
How many billionaires are in Tamil Nadu?
As of early 2026, Tamil Nadu has around 10-15 major high-profile billionaires, making it one of India’s premier wealth creation hubs.
Is Tamil Nadu among India’s top wealthy states?
Yes, Tamil Nadu consistently ranks as the second among the top 10 richest states of India, contributing nearly 9% to the national GDP while covering just 4% of the country’s land area. As of 2024–25, its GSDP stands at ₹31.55 lakh crore.
Now, let’s take a look at the updated 2026 ranking of Tamil Nadu’s richest men, their net worth, and the industries behind their rise.
Top 10 Richest Persons in Tamil Nadu – 2026
| Rank | Name | Net Worth (USD) | Company / Group |
| 1 | Shiv Nadar | $35 Billion | HCL Technologies |
| 2 | Kalanithi Maran | $3 Billion | Sun Group |
| 3 | Arun Pudur | $1.4 Billion | Celframe Corporation |
| 4 | A.C. Muthiah | $1.2 Billion | SPIC |
| 5 | N. Srinivasan | $1.1 Billion | India Cements, Chennai Super Kings |
| 6 | Venu Srinivasan | $1 Billion | TVS Motor Company |
| 7 | M.A.M. Ramaswamy | $950 Million | Chettinad Group |
| 8 | T.S. Kalyanaraman | $850 Million | Kalyan Jewellers |
| 9 | Dr. G. Bakthavathsalam | $750 Million | KG Hospital |
| 10 | R. Sarathkumar & Radhika Sarathkumar | $600 Million (combined) | Radaan Mediaworks |
Top 10 Richest Persons in Tamil Nadu: From IT Empires to Media Dynasties
The richest person in Tamil Nadu sits at $35 billion, and the list only gets more interesting from there. Spanning IT, media, jewellery retail, cement, healthcare, and cricket franchises, Tamil Nadu’s wealthiest represent a cross-section of the industries that have quietly made the state one of India’s most economically dynamic.
1. Shiv Nadar | $35 Billion
Shiv Nadar is the richest person in Tamil Nadu, with a net worth of approximately $35 billion in 2026. Nationally, this places him among the top 10 richest people of India, trailing giants such as Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani.
He started HCL in 1976 with barely Rs. 1.87 lakh and turned it into a global IT giant operating in 60+ countries with revenues crossing $13 billion. In 2020, he handed over the chairmanship of HCL Technologies to his daughter Roshni Nadar Malhotra, stepping back as Chairman Emeritus. Beyond business, his Shiv Nadar Foundation has put over Rs. 5,000 crore into education and the arts, cementing his reputation as one of India’s most generous philanthropists.
2. Kalanithi Maran | $3 Billion
Kalanithi Maran is easily one of the top 10 richest persons in Tamil Nadu and the undisputed king of South Indian media. He launched Sun TV on April 14, 1993, and built it into a sprawling empire of 30+ TV channels, Red FM radio stations, the Sun NXT OTT platform, and Sun Pictures, one of Tamil cinema’s biggest production banners.
He was also the promoter of SpiceJet before a messy legal and financial fallout led to his exit from the airline. A long-running shareholding dispute with his brother Dayanidhi Maran has been a persistent subplot in the Sun Group’s story.
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3. Arun Pudur | $1.4 Billion
Arun Pudur is one of the more intriguing names on any list of the richest persons in Tamil Nadu, largely because he has built serious wealth while staying almost entirely off the radar. He is the founder and CEO of Celframe Corporation, a Malaysia-based enterprise software company that he grew without any venture capital or institutional backing.
He has been cited as one of the world’s youngest self-made billionaires, which is a remarkable claim for someone who rarely speaks to the press. Since Celframe is privately held, its financials are not publicly disclosed, which adds to the mystery around it.
4. A.C. Muthiah | $1.2 Billion
A.C. Muthiah comes from the M.A. Chidambaram family, one of Tamil Nadu’s most influential business dynasties, and chairs SPIC, a major fertiliser and petrochemical manufacturer based in the state.
He served as BCCI president between 1999 and 2001, and has been deeply embedded in Tamil Nadu cricket administration for decades, keeping the family’s reach alive in Indian sport. His wealth is primarily tied to his promoter holdings in SPIC and related group companies.
Among the richest men in Tamil Nadu, Muthiah represents the old-guard industrialist class that built Tamil Nadu’s chemical and agri-input sectors before liberalisation.
5. N. Srinivasan | $1.1 Billion
N. Srinivasan wore multiple hats for years as the managing director of India Cements, BCCI president, and ICC chairman, making him one of the most powerful figures in both Indian business and global cricket administration.
He is also the man behind Chennai Super Kings, the IPL franchise that crossed a $1 billion valuation and became India’s first sports unicorn. In 2024, he agreed to sell India Cements to UltraTech Cement, a major strategic shift, though his involvement with CSK continues through family-held structures. As one of the richest persons in Tamil Nadu with a foot in both industry and sport, Srinivasan has had a great influence.
6. Venu Srinivasan | $1 Billion
Venu Srinivasan leads TVS Motor Company, the flagship of the TVS Group that his grandfather T.V. Sundaram Iyengar founded back in 1911, making it one of India’s oldest and most respected business houses.
Under his watch, TVS Motor has grown into a global two-wheeler manufacturer with revenues crossing Rs. 30,000 crore, a presence in 60+ countries, and a serious push into electric vehicles through the iQube range.
He received the Padma Bhushan in 2020, one of the few auto industry leaders to earn that distinction. Among the richest men in Tamil Nadu, Venu Srinivasan stands out for blending legacy with genuine modernisation.
7. M.A.M. Ramaswamy | $950 Million
M.A.M. Ramaswamy built the Chettinad Group into a diversified conglomerate spanning cement, education, healthcare, real estate, and hospitality, drawing on the deep entrepreneurial traditions of the Nattukotai Chettiar community.
Chettinad Cement, the group’s flagship, is one of the larger regional cement producers in South India with significant capacity across Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Ramaswamy passed away in January 2022, and the next generation of the family has since taken over the group’s reins. His $950 million legacy reflects a business empire built steadily over generations rather than through any single big bet.
8. T.S. Kalyanaraman | $850 Million
T.S. Kalyanaraman’s story is a classic one of starting small and scaling big. He opened the first Kalyan Jewellers showroom in Thrissur, Kerala, in 1993 and turned it into a nationwide chain of 200+ stores across India and the Middle East.
The company listed on Indian exchanges in March 2021, raising around Rs. 1,175 crore, and has since grown its market cap to the Rs. 25,000-28,000 crore range.
The founding family holds a controlling promoter stake, and Kalyanaraman’s $850 million wealth is a direct reflection of how Kalyan Jewellers disrupted a traditionally fragmented, trust-deficient industry through transparent pricing and strong branding.
9. Dr G. Bakthavathsalam | $750 Million
Dr G. Bakthavathsalam is the man behind KG Hospital in Coimbatore, which he built over five decades into one of Tamil Nadu’s most respected super-speciality healthcare institutions. The KG Group is not just a hospital chain, though; it spans education through KG College of Arts and Science and several affiliated institutions, plus real estate and other businesses.
He is widely credited with bringing corporate-quality tertiary healthcare to Coimbatore long before it became a trend across Indian Tier-2 cities. His estimated $750 million wealth is spread across the group’s private hospital, education, and real estate holdings, none of which are publicly listed.
10. R. Sarathkumar & Radhika Sarathkumar | $600 Million
Rounding out the top 10 richest persons in Tamil Nadu is a couple that has built independent careers of real commercial scale. Radhika Sarathkumar founded Radaan Mediaworks, a listed production company that has been churning out Tamil daily serials for Sun TV and other broadcasters for over two decades, making it one of the most consistent content suppliers in regional Indian television.
R. Sarathkumar is a four-decade veteran of Tamil and Telugu cinema and also founded the All India Samathuva Makkal Katchi, keeping one foot in politics. Their combined $600 million estimate is largely driven by Radhika’s equity stake in Radaan and their shared portfolio of media and entertainment assets.
Disclaimer– The rankings and figures in this article have been compiled from multiple verified reports, credible news sources, and public financial data available as of 2026.
All values are approximate and may vary with newer updates, revisions, or changes in official records.
Tamil Nad’s Richest Men – FAQs
Shiv Nadar, the founder of HCL Technologies, is the richest person in Tamil Nadu with a net worth of $35 billion as of 2025, making him not just the wealthiest individual in the state but also one of the top 3 richest people in India.
Shiv Nadar holds the title of the wealthiest person in Tamil Nadu, with a net worth of $35 billion built entirely on the back of HCL Technologies
Aravind Srinivas, the Chennai-born co-founder and CEO of Perplexity AI, is considered the youngest billionaire from Tamil Nadu, with an estimated net worth of Rs. 21,190 crore (approximately $2.5 billion) as per the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025 at just 31 years of age
Sindhuja Rajaraman is widely recognised as one of India’s youngest CEOs and millionaires, having taken charge of Chennai-based animation company Seppan Entertainment in 2011 at just 14 years old.
Aadit Palicha, the 23-year-old co-founder and CEO of quick-commerce platform Zepto, is recognised as one of India’s youngest self-made billionaires with a net worth of Rs. 5,380 crore (approximately $640 million) as of October 2025 per available reports.
M.K. Stalin, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu and DMK president, is the most powerful person in the state as of 2025. Beyond politics, Kalanithi Maran controls media influence through Sun Group, while Rajinikanth and Thalapathy Vijay hold unmatched cultural sway over millions.
