Menon was raised in Ambarnath and Pune, Maharashtra. His early life was in "H" type Rangehills, Khadki which were factory quarters for those working in the ammunition and high explosives factories. His father was popularly known as "Cashier Menon". His parents moved from Kerala to Mumbai when he was very young. KICHU, as Menon was known among friends, studied at the St. Josephs Boys' High School in Khadki. He passed his 10th grade in 1981. He did his Bachelors (Physics) from Mumbai University and his MBA from the Department of Management Sciences(PUMBA) at the University of Pune, graduating in 1988 with a major in marketing. He was popular in his class as a singer of ghazals.