Anupam Mittal, the Founder and CEO of People Group and a prominent judge on Shark Tank India, has shared a powerful reflection on the show's fifth season, directly addressing the initial skepticism it faced. Mittal, who founded Shaadi.com, opened up about the early critics who claimed the format would never resonate with Indian audiences and that investing was too niche a topic.
From Doubts to Dominance: The Shark Tank India Phenomenon
In a detailed social media post, Mittal acknowledged that the early doubts were "technically correct" but have become completely irrelevant over four years and five seasons. He emphasized that Shark Tank India was never conceived as just a television show about investments. "It was about giving underdogs a belief, a stage & a place in our living rooms. It was about reflecting & shaping India’s dreams & aspiration," he wrote, highlighting the show's broader cultural mission.
The scale achieved by the show has surpassed all expectations. Mittal shared staggering statistics: 2000 founders have entered the Tank, with 952 pitches making it to air. The production has been prolific, creating 250 episodes in just 5 seasons—a pace that took the US version 16 seasons to reach 350 episodes. Furthermore, 436 deals have been closed with a total commitment of 388 crore rupees.
Tangible Success: How Startups Benefited
The real proof of the show's impact lies in the success stories of the participating companies. Mittal provided compelling data to showcase this growth:
- Over 20 companies have crossed ₹50 crore in annualized revenue.
- More than 50 companies grew five-fold after their appearance.
- Over 30 companies successfully raised institutional or strategic capital post-show.
- One company has already gone public.
"These are not just 'startup funding' stories, they are thousands of real jobs & evidence of excellence, quietly upping the bar for our nation," Mittal stated, connecting entrepreneurial success to national progress.
Redefining the Indian Founder
Mittal took pride in how the show has democratized and diversified the image of an Indian entrepreneur. He revealed that 80% of the pitchers were from non-Ivy League or non-pedigree backgrounds, breaking the stereotype of elite education being a prerequisite. In a significant step for inclusion, 43% of the pitches featured at least one woman founder.
Furthermore, the show has highlighted experience and family collaboration. 20% of founders in Season 5 are over 40, a number that has been rising since the first season. Additionally, over 30% of co-founders are family members. "We’ve moved past the ‘VC’ stereotype. The new Indian builders are not just male dorm-buddies with IIT degrees, they have a problem they refuse to ignore," Mittal asserted.
He also pointed out key trends making the current season worth watching, including founders building global businesses from day one, a meaningful rise in AI-native companies, and valuations staying range-bound as "sanity replaces vanity."
Mittal concluded by crediting the 2000 courageous founders, the 200+ crew members, the original sharks who took a risk, and the audience for the show's monumental success. Shark Tank India Season 5 premiered on January 5 and features a large panel of judges including Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh, Ritesh Agarwal, Amit Jain, and several other prominent business figures.
