Kalanithi Maran, wife still among highest-paid top execs, take home `87.5 crore each in FY20

Both had decided to keep their salaries at the current level since two years ago.

South-based media baron and promoter-chairman of Sun TV Network Kalanithi Maran and his wife Kavery Kalanithi, who is the executive director of the company, continue to be in the list of highest-paid top executives in the country in the financial year 2019-2020.

The couple, in fiscal 2020, took home Rs 87.50 crore each, refraining from hiking the pay package of the previous year, according to the annual report 2020 of Sun TV Network. Both had decided to keep their salaries at the current level since two years ago.

Kalanithi Maran and Kavery Kalanithi had been drawing salary of Rs 13.87 crore and ex-gratia and bonus of Rs 73.63 crore, aggregating to Rs 87.50 crore, making them among the highest-paid CEOs in the country. Kalanithi Maran owns 75% of the company’s stake.

Kavya Kalanithi Maran, daughter of Kalanithi Maran, was inducted into the board of directors of the company in March 2019.

Sun TV Network is one of the largest television broadcasters in the country that operates satellite TV channels across four languages — Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam, airs FM radio stations across India and owns the SunRisers Hyderabad cricket franchise of the Indian Premier League (IPL).

The total income of the company for FY20 was at Rs 3,653.35 crore against Rs 3,883.22 crore during the previous year. The sustained growth and consistent higher margins are reflective of the company’s continued dominance in broadcasting business in the southern states.