Who Is Venkat Raman? Wiki, Age, Son, Family & Facts About Suchana Seth’s Husband
Venkat Raman, also known as Venki, is a physicist, data scientist, and the estranged husband of Suchana Seth, the CEO of Bengaluru-based AI startup The Mindful AI Lab, who was arrested for allegedly killing their four-year-old son in Goa. He, who is currently the head of data science at GoTo Financial, a leading fintech company, has a distinguished academic and professional background, with a PhD in physics from the Raman Research Institute and several years of experience in data science and analytics. He is also the nephew of Venkatraman Ramakrishnan, the Nobel laureate in chemistry.
Venkat Raman Wiki/Bio
| Name | Venkat Raman |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1978 |
| Place of birth | Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Caste | Tamil |
| Religion | Hinduism |
| Education | B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Physics from University of Calicut; PhD in Physics from Raman Research Institute |
| Occupation | Physicist, data scientist, and head of data science at GoTo Financial |
| Spouse | Suchana Seth (m. 2010; div. 2020) |
| Children | One son (b. 2019; d. 2024) |
| Relatives | Venkatraman Ramakrishnan (uncle) |
| Source | Linkedin-@venkatrpr Homepage- Newsunzip |
Birthday and Education
Venkat Raman was born in 1978 (age: 45 years, as of 2023) in Chidambaram, Tamil Nadu, India. He belongs to a family of eminent scientists and scholars, as his father was a professor of physics at the University of Madras, and his uncle Venkatraman Ramakrishnan is a renowned physicist and molecular biologist who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009 for his work on the structure and function of ribosomes.
Venkataraman P R grew up in Chennai, where he attended Bhavan’s Vidya Mandir, Elamakkara, a prestigious school affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). He was a brilliant student who excelled in science and mathematics and also participated in various extracurricular activities, such as chess, debate, and music. He completed his 10th and 12th board exams with outstanding marks, and secured admission to the University of Calicut, where he pursued his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in physics. He was fascinated by the fields of quantum mechanics, relativity, and cosmology, and wanted to follow in the footsteps of his uncle and become a theoretical physicist.
He joined the Raman Research Institute (RRI) in Bengaluru, one of the premier research institutions in India, where he enrolled in the PhD program in physics. He worked under the supervision of Prof. S. Ramasesha, a distinguished scientist and an expert in computational condensed matter physics. He completed his Ph.D. thesis on the electronic properties of graphene, a novel material with potential applications in nanotechnology, in 2012. He published several papers in reputed journals and conferences and received accolades and awards for his research.
Career and Achievements
After completing his Ph.D., Venkat Raman decided to switch his career path from academia to industry, as he was interested in applying his skills and knowledge in physics to solve real-world problems using data science and analytics. He joined Syntel, a global IT company, as a programmer analyst, where he worked on developing software solutions for various clients in the domains of banking, finance, and healthcare. He learned various programming languages, such as Python, R, and SQL, and gained exposure to the tools and techniques of data science, such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and big data.
Venkataraman P R left Syntel after a year and joined Tiger Analytics, a boutique data science consulting firm, as a data scientist. He worked on various projects involving data analysis, modeling, and visualization for clients across different industries, such as retail, e-commerce, and media. He also mentored and trained junior data scientists and analysts, and contributed to the development of the company’s data science capabilities and methodologies.
In 2014, Venkat Raman moved to ThoughtWorks, a global software consultancy, as a lead consultant and data scientist. He led and managed several data science and analytics projects for clients in various sectors, such as education, social impact, and government. He also played a key role in building and growing the data science practice at ThoughtWorks, by hiring, mentoring, and coaching data scientists and engineers, and creating and implementing best practices and standards for data science and analytics. He worked at ThoughtWorks for four and a half years, and during this time, he also traveled to various countries, such as the US, UK, and Singapore, to work with clients and partners.
Know about start-up CEO Suchana Seth, who is arrested for allegedly murdering 4-year-old son pic.twitter.com/Ztk6qsakP9
— The Times Of India (@timesofindia) January 10, 2024
In 2018, he joined GoTo Financial, a leading fintech company that provides digital payment solutions and financial services, as the head of data science (payments). He is responsible for leading and overseeing the data science and analytics functions for the payments business unit, which includes products such as GoTo Pay, GoTo Wallet, and GoTo Card. He also works closely with the product, engineering, and business teams to define and execute the data strategy and vision for the payments business unit, and to deliver data-driven insights and solutions that enhance the customer experience and value proposition.
Spouse, Son
Venkat Raman married Suchana Seth, a data scientist and AI ethics expert, in 2010. They met at the Raman Research Institute, where they were both pursuing their PhDs in physics. They had a son, who was born in 2019. However, their marriage was not a happy one, as they had frequent conflicts and disagreements over various issues, such as their careers, finances, and parenting. They decided to separate in 2020 and filed for divorce. Suchana had the custody of their son, while Raman had the right to visit and spend time with him on Sundays.
Height, Weight
- Height: 6′ (1.83 m)
- Weight: 75 kg (165 lbs)
Controversies
On January 8, 2024, Venkat Raman received the shocking news that his estranged wife had allegedly killed their four-year-old son in a hotel room in Goa, and tried to flee with his body in a suitcase. Suchana, who was the founder and CEO of The Mindful AI Lab, an AI startup that focused on the ethical and responsible use of AI, had checked into the hotel with their son on January 6 and left for Bengaluru in a taxi on January 8. The hotel staff, who noticed bloodstains on a towel in the room, alerted the police, who traced the taxi and informed their counterparts in Chitradurga, Karnataka. The police intercepted the taxi and found the body of the child in the suitcase. Suchana was arrested and brought to Goa, where she was charged with murder and destruction of evidence.
The motive behind the gruesome crime is still unknown, but the police suspect that Suchana was under mental stress or pressure, and was unhappy with the court order that allowed Raman to see their son on Sundays. The police also found some disturbing posts on Suchana’s social media accounts, such as #whatwillhappen and #endoftheworld, which indicated that she was suffering from some psychological issues or depression.
Venkataraman P R, who was working in Jakarta, Indonesia, at the time of the incident, returned to India as soon as he heard the news. He gave his consent for the post-mortem of his son’s body and also cooperated with the police in the investigation. He expressed his grief and shock over the tragic death of his son and said that he had no idea why Suchana would do such a thing. He also said that he had no contact with Suchana for the past few months and that he was unaware of her whereabouts or activities. He requested the media and the public to respect his privacy and let him mourn in peace.
Net Worth
| Year | Net Worth in INR |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 7.47 – 37.34 crore |
| 2022 | 8.96 – 44.82 crore |
| 2023 | 10.67 – 53.37 crore |
