Vijayalakshmi Navaneethakrishnan is a Tamil folk singer and composer and a renowned exponent of Tamil folk art. Together with her husband M. Navaneethakrishnan, she has conducted several years of research and study on Tamil folk music and dances and devoted a lifetime to research, collection, revival, and documentation of ancient Tamil folk songs and dances, many of which are fast becoming obsolete. The Government of India has announced Padma Shri, the nation's fourth highest civilian award, for the year 2018 to the singer for her extraordinary contribution in her field.
Vijayalakshmi was born is Chinnasuraigayamapatti near Rajapalayam. Her Father is Ponnuswamy and Mother is Mookammal. She has a Ph.D. degree in M.A. She worked as a professor at the Centre for Folk Arts in the Department of Art History and Aesthetic Fine Arts, Madurai Kamaraj University. Her husband Dr Navneetha Krishnan is also a professor in the same field.
After retiring as professors in the Department of Folk Arts and Culture from the Madurai Kamaraj University, the couple continue their studies on folk art and culture.