Ishari K. Ganesh (pronounced as Ai-sari) is the founder, chairman and chancellor of Vels University in Chennai, India.

[3] He founded the Vel's Educational Trust in 1992 in the memory of his late father Isari Velan, a former Member of Legislative Assembly in the state government of M. G. Ramachandran.

In February 2021, Ganesh faced backlash from caste-based organizations for his involvement in supporting the official recognition of the Devendrakula Velalar title, which aimed to consolidate several Scheduled Caste communities under a single name.

Certain caste associations argued that this move erased their individual identities and opposed Ganesh’s participation in the efforts to push for the title’s official recognition.

The protests highlighted tensions over caste identities and the complexities of addressing caste-based issues in Tamil Nadu.