Ramesh Kunhikanna, Man Who Became Billionaire After Chandrayaan-3 Success

Ramesh Kunhikannan has been named on the Forbes Billionaires List 2024 for the first time this year. With an impressive net worth of $1.2 billion, Mr Kunhikannan has secured his position among some of the world's richest individuals, including Elon Musk, Mukesh Ambani, Jeff Bezos etc. Mr Kunhikannan, 60, ascended to billionaire status following India's space triumph with Chandrayaan-3 in August 2023.

5 facts about Ramesh Kunhikannan:

1. Ramesh Kunhikannan is the founder and managing director of Kaynes Technology, an electronics manufacturer headquartered in Mysore, India. 

2. Mr Kunhikannan holds a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from the National Institute of Engineering, Mysore. 

3. He founded Kaynes Technology in 1988 as a contract manufacturer of electronics. His wife, Savitha Ramesh joined the company in 1996 and now serves as the company's chairperson. 

4. Ramesh Kunhikannan played a major role in India's historic Chandrayaan-3 mission by supplying electronic systems to power both the rover and lander, which contributed to the mission's successful landing on the Moon's surface in August 2023. Chandrayaan-3 was a mission led by ISRO with a budget of around ₹615 crore.

5. Ramesh Kunhikannan has 64% stake in Kaynes Technology and share values of the company increased significantly after the success of Chandrayaan-3. This followed the company's already impressive performance, with its shares tripling in value since debuting on the share market in November 2022. Because of this, Mr Kunhikannan's net worth skyrocketed, reaching $1.2 billion according to Forbes.