MPW Repeat Winners: How Kavery Kalanithi has been driving Sun TV’s growth since its early days in 1993

For anyone living in south India, the Sun network is a familiar name. Be it television broadcasting, radio, cable distribution, DTH, or the Indian Premier League, the brand seamlessly transcends boundaries. Specifically, in Tamil Nadu, one of the largest advertising markets in the country, the dominance is difficult to miss.

Kavery Kalanithi’s professional journey has been intricately linked to the evolution of Sun TV—the channel that kicked off the overall business—since its inception in April 1993. “As our reach went beyond Tamil Nadu and covered the whole of south India, my role became larger. Then, as the footprint extended into other parts of the world, where the south Indian diaspora lived, my job has only become more challenging, rewarding, and exciting,” she says.

In FY24, Sun TV’s total income increased 15% year-on-year to Rs 4,787 crore, while profit grew nearly 13% YoY to Rs 1,925 crore.

The network has more than 30 channels in four southern languages, along with a presence in Bengali and Marathi as well. This is why she considers “overseeing the rigour of execution” as her big achievement.

Under her watch, the Sun Group is making significant investments in the Hindi-speaking markets in the quest for growth. “We want to build on our recent successful forays into the Bengali and Marathi markets,” she says. The ambition is to become a bigger player in the markets outside south India. “The plans are works in progress, and we are excited to expand our footprint not only in India but also globally,” she signs off.