Murugavel Janakiraman, Founder, Chairman, Managing Director & CEO, Matrimony.com.Ltd.; Chairman, TiE Chennai; Vice Chairman, CII Tamil Nadu.

Murugavel Janakiraman is the Founder, Chairman & Managing Director, and CEO of Matrimony.com Ltd,India’s leading and most trusted online matrimony service. A visionary entrepreneur, he is credited with pioneering online matchmaking in India in 1997, through which he transformed a centuries-old, highly offline industry into a trusted digital category that today serves millions of Indians worldwide.Under his leadership, Matrimony.com evolved from a small community portal experiment into India’s first pure-play consumer internet company to be publicly listed, setting a benchmark for homegrown tech-led consumer brands. Matrimony.com today powers a portfolio of brands including BharatMatrimony (in 15 Indian languages), EliteMatrimony for affluent and celebrity clients, and CommunityMatrimony.com, a network of 300+ community-focused portals.With 3000+ employees across 100+ branches in India and international offices, the platform has facilitated lakhs of marriages, earning recognition in record books and building one of the most trusted relationship brands in the country.Among the many accolades, Murugavel has been featured among the Top 5 Asian Indian Businessmen in the US, named Business Icon of the Year, and nominated twice as “Entrepreneur of the Year” by The Economic Times, alongside being recognised as a Top Technology Leader and “Disruptor” in tech. A sought-after speaker on both online and offline, on entrepreneurship, technology and consumer internet, Murugavel frequently speaks at various global and national platforms including Harvard Business School, Stanford India, CII, FICCI,IAMAI etc.
Murugavel had earlier served as Chairman of CII Chennai Zone and member of the CII Tamil Nadu State Council. He is the Chairman of The Indus Entrepreneurs(TiE), Chennai along with being the Chairman of the CII CEO Forum.Murugavel holds a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Presidency College, Chennai, an MCA from the University of Madras, and has completed the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard Business School. Coming from a modest background in North Chennai, he began as a programmer, then to work in Singapore and the US, where a side project for the Tamil diaspora evolved into the seed of BharatMatrimony.Murugavel often describes Matrimony.com as a platform to build a stronger nation by enabling happy marriages that nurture responsible future citizens, reflecting a purpose-led approach to business. Deeply spiritually inclined, he draws inspiration from his guru, Mahatria and recharges through music and family travel, keeping him grounded despite his high-impact entrepreneurial journey.