AnanthKumar was born in the salubrious city of Bangalore in 1959. His parents instilled in him a strong value system and the best of Indian culture. As in most Indian homes, AnanthKumar’s early education was at the feet of his mother. Smt.Girija Shastry, Ananth’s mother, was graduate from Maharani’s College, Bangalore.

Smt. Girija Shastry was a determined crusader against social injustice, and Ananth’s desire to serve the poor and underprivileged and his commitment towards social causes were inculcated from her actions. His father Shri H N Narayan Shastry was a railway employee who instilled in him a strong sense of duty and encouraged the spirit of inquiry. His illustrious relatives included Sir. M. Vishweshwarayya, the world famous engineer/statesman and the pride of Karnataka, and the likes of Dr B V Raman, a renowned astrologer.

He is married to Tejaswini, a dynamic software engineer. She is a social activist, who steers the activities of Adamya Chetana – a charitable organization which is involved in the area of women & children. One of its revolutionary, and now much acclaimed, projects - Annapoorna feeds over 72,000 school children in Bangalore, 49,000 school children in Hubli and 65,000 school children in Jodhpur every day. These children come from the underprivileged sections of society. She is also the Chief Editor of “Nimma AnanthKumar” – an innovative magazine which showcases Ananth Kumar’s efforts in the public arena.

They are blessed with two daughters, Aishwarya & Vijeta.