After graduating from the College of Engineering, Guindy,[9] he completed a Master of Science degree in management from Purdue University in Indiana (United States).

In the late 1980s, Srinivasan scripted a turnaround for the two-wheeler maker, which was mired in labour troubles with striking workers, leading to mounting losses.

He then upgraded plant machinery, invested in new technologies and implemented Total Quality Management (TQM), a Japanese method of process-driven manufacturing.

Under Srinivasan's leadership as the managing director, Sundaram-Clayton's brakes division won the Deming Prize in 1998 for having "achieved distinctive performance improvements through application of company-wide quality control".

[16] In 2019, Srinivasan himself received the Deming Distinguished Service Award, granted to individuals who have made outstanding contributions in the dissemination and promotion of Total Quality Management.

[24] As per Forbes list of India’s 100 richest tycoons, dated OCTOBER 09, 2024,Venu Srinivasan is ranked 55th with a net worth of $5.65 Billion.