Aishwarya Rai was born to a traditional Tulu-speaking family in Mangalore. Her father, Jairam Rai, was a businessman, and her mother, Purnima Rai, was a homemaker. Aishwarya has a younger sister, Shilpa Rai. She completed her schooling at St. Mary's College in Mangalore and later pursued a degree in microbiology from Jnanavikas Institute of Technology.