Govindasamy Viswanathan (born 8 December 1938) is an Indian politician and the founder and chancellor of Vellore Institute of Technology in India.[1][2] Viswanathan was born in a Mudaliar family near Gudiyattam. He obtained a master's degree in economics from Loyola College and completed law from Madras University. His leadership skills were noticed by C. N. Annadurai and the DMK party chose him to contest the elections in 1967.