Sharks on Land: A Look at Shark Tank India Judges' Achievements
The Shark Tank India judges each have an impressive resume full of varied skills and noteworthy accomplishments from their respective fields. Aside from their roles as judges on the show, these individuals have made significant contributions to a variety of industries, demonstrating remarkable leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
Their travels are engraved with stories of victory and difficulties, capturing the essence of perseverance and vision. From pioneering ventures to leading multimillion-dollar enterprises, their footprints are felt across industries, making an everlasting influence on the Indian economic landscape. Their contributions will inspire future generations and pave the way for a more prosperous and promising future for humankind as the journey progresses.
- Ashneer Grover
- Vineeta Singh
- Aman Gupta
- Anupam Mittal
- Namita Thapar
- Ghazal Alagh
- Ritesh Agarwal
- Azhar Iqubal
- Ronnie Screwvala
- Radhika Gupta
- Deepinder Goyal
- Peyush Bansal
- Varun Dua
- Kunal Bahl
- Viraj Bahl
- Vikas D Nahar
Ashneer Grover
| Name | Ashneer Grover |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 June 1982 |
| Position | Ex-founder and Managing Director of BharatPe |
As the ex-founder and Managing Director of BharatPe, Ashneer Grover has left an indelible mark on India's fintech landscape. A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Grover's journey includes stints at renowned companies like Kotak Investment Bank, Grofers, PC Jeweller Ltd., and American Express. His brainchild, the BharatPe app, launched in 2018, has garnered over one crore downloads on the Play Store.
Grover's accolades include:
- The Entrepreneur of the Year award in January 2021
- The Young Achiever's award was also bestowed upon him in January 2021
Vineeta Singh
| Name | Vinita Singh |
|---|---|
| Born | 1983 |
| Position | Co-founder & CEO of Sugar Cosmetics |
Co-founder & CEO of Sugar Cosmetics, Vineeta Singh, has been instrumental in shaping the beauty industry in India.
Vineeta's entrepreneurial journey has been decorated with numerous accolades:
- The Startup of the Year 2019 by Entrepreneur Awards, Delhi
- Singh's leadership prowess landed her on the cover of Forbes Most Powerful Women (MPW) in Business in December 2021
- She was recognized in the Economic Times' 40 Under 40 list in 2021
Aman Gupta
| Name | Aman Gupta |
|---|---|
| Born | 4 March 1982 |
| Position | Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of boAt |
A powerhouse in the tech industry, Aman Gupta is the co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer at boAt. Gupta's entrepreneurial spirit has been lauded with several prestigious awards, such as the Businessworld Young Entrepreneur Award in 2019 and the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2020. Under his leadership, the boat achieved the distinction of being named the World's Top 5 Wearable Brand in both 2020 and 2021.
Aman Gupta's other achievements include:
- In 2019, he was on the list of Entrepreneur India Tech 25 Class
- In 2020, he was the winner of Super 30 CMOs
- In 2020, he was on the list of 40 under 40 Achievers by Businessworld, The Economic Times
- In 2021, he won the Lokmat Most Stylish Entrepreneur of the Year
- In 2021, he was on the list of 40 Under 40 list of Economic Times
Damini Bhandary
Anupam Mittal
| Name | Anupam Mittal |
|---|---|
| Born | 23 December 1971 |
| Position | Founder & CEO of People Group and Shaadi.com |
As the founder & CEO of People Group and Shaadi.com, Anupam Mittal has revolutionized the online matchmaking industry. His impact extends beyond business, as he has been recognized among the top 25 people frequently searched by The Week magazine and listed among India's 50 Most Powerful People by Business Week.
Anupam Mittal's contributions have earned him below accolades:
- The Entrepreneur of the Year award by IT People
- The Karamveer Puraskar
Namita Thapar
| Name | Namita Thapar |
|---|---|
| Born | 21 March 1977 |
| Position | Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals |
Namita Thapar, Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals, is a trailblazer in the pharmaceutical sector.
Namita's exemplary leadership has garnered numerous achievements:
- Recognition in The Economic Times Women Ahead List 2017
- The Economic Times' 40 Under Forty
- India's Hottest Young Business Leaders List 2017
- The Barclays Hurun Next Gen Leader Recognition and
- The World Women Leadership Congress Super Achiever Award
Sarika Anand
Ghazal Alagh
| Name | Ghazal Alagh |
|---|---|
| Born | 2 September 1988 |
| Position | Co-founder and Chief Mama of Mamaearth |
Co-founder and Chief Mama of Mamaearth, Ghazal Alagh, has made significant strides in the realm of sustainable and natural beauty products.
Gazal Alagh's entrepreneurial journey has been punctuated with achievements such as receiving:
- The Best Brand of the Year award for Mamaearth in 2018-2019
- Named one of India's forty under forty achievers in 2019.
- Alagh's commitment to excellence was further underscored by the Super StartUps Asia Award in 2019.
Ritesh Agarwal
| Name | Ritesh Agarwal |
|---|---|
| Born | 16 November 1993 |
| Position | Founder and CEO of OYO Rooms |
Founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, Ritesh Agarwal's entrepreneurial journey began at a young age and has catapulted him to global recognition. His remarkable achievements include being the first Asian resident to win the '20 Under 20' Thiel Fellowship and being listed in Forbes's "30 Under 30" in the consumer tech sector. Agarwal's innovative approach to hospitality has redefined the concept of budget accommodation worldwide.
Ritesh's other achievements include:
- Top 50 Entrepreneurs by TATA First Dot Awards in 2013
- Listed as "One of the 8 Hottest Teenage Startup Founders in the World" by Business Insider in 2013
- Received TiE – Lumis Entrepreneurial Excellence Award in 2014
- Young Entrepreneur Award by Business World in 2018
Azhar Iqubal
| Name | Azhar Iqubal |
|---|---|
| Born | 1993 |
| Position | Co-founder and CEO of Inshorts |
Azhar Iqubal, co-founder and CEO of Inshorts, is a visionary entrepreneur who has disrupted the media landscape with his innovative news aggregation platform.
Iqubal's achievements include:
- Business World 40 under 40
- Fortune India 40 under 40
- Business World Young Entrepreneur Award
- The Most Enterprising Brands
- Leaders of Asia Award
- Forbes India 30 under 30
- Forbes Asia 30 under 30
Ronnie Screwvala
| Name | Ronnie Screwvala |
|---|---|
| Born | 8 September 1962 |
| Position | Co-founder of upGrad |
Co-founder of upGrad, Ronnie Screwvala, has been at the forefront of India's digital education revolution. His contributions extend beyond business, as evidenced by the Swades Foundation, which aimed to lift a million people out of poverty. U Sports focused on nurturing talent in Kabaddi, E-Sports, and Football.
Ronnie's achievements include:
- Esquire listed him as one of the 75 Most Influential People of the 21st Century in 2008
- The Time 100 placed him 78th out of the 100 most influential people worldwide
- Fortune Magazine ranked him as one of the 25 Most Powerful People in Asia.
Radhika Gupta
| Name | Radhika Gupta |
|---|---|
| Born | 14 September 1983 |
| Position | Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Funds |
Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Funds, Radhika Gupta, is a stalwart in the finance sector and is recognized for her exemplary leadership and contributions. Gupta's work in the finance sector has been acknowledged with various awards, including:
- LinkedIn Top Voices in India −2021 in Finance & Economy in 2020
- Fortune India's 50 Most Powerful Women in Business in 2020
- Economic Times 40 Under 40 Business Leaders Award in 2021
- The Impact Creator Awards 2021, presented by the Governor of Maharashtra in 2021
- Business Today: Most Powerful Women in Indian Business Awards
- Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum- 2022
- CII Young Women Leader of the Year from the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in 2022
- Forbes Women Power: Self-Made Women by Forbes India in 2022
- Business Book of the Year: Self Help (Limitless) by FICCI Publishing, awarded in 2023
Kanimozhi Sivakumar
Deepinder Goyal
| Name | Deepinder Goyal |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 January 1983 |
| Position | Co-founder and CEO of Zomato, Director of Upslope |
Deepinder Goyal is the co-founder and CEO of Zomato, a leading food delivery and restaurant discovery company. He started Zomato in 2008 with Pankaj Chaddah. Before Zomato, he worked at Bain & Company as a consultant. Deepinder is an IIT Delhi graduate and has played a key role in Zomato’s global growth.
Deepinder Goyal won the 'Entrepreneur of the Year' award. Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw presented him with the award at the NDTV Indian of the Year—2024 event.
Rishabh Rathi
Peyush Bansal
| Name | Peyush Bansal |
|---|---|
| Born | 26 April 1985 |
| Position | Co-founder and CEO of Lenskart |
Peyush Bansal is the CEO and Co-Founder of Lenskart. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering — IT, Control, and Automation from McGill University. After a brief stint as a Program Manager at Microsoft, Bansal realized his desire to make a significant impact and returned to India to address the problem of vision correction. Peyush Bansal has been awarded with various accolades, some of his achievements are as follows:
- Awarded Innovator of the Year Award at NDTV Indian of The Year Awards 2023-24
- He received the ‘India TV Yuva Awards in 2015
- Red Herring Top 100 Asia Award 2013
- Emerging Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2012
- British Honors Award at McGill University
- Best 40 under 40 Entrepreneurs 2019 Fortune India
Shalini Rath
Varun Dua
| Name | Varun Dua |
|---|---|
| Born | 1981 |
| Position | Co-founder and CEO of Acko, Co-founder of Coverfox & Glitterbug Technologies |
Varun Dua is the CEO and the founder of the company, Acko. He completed his education at MICA, Ahmedabad, and the University of Mumbai. After finishing his graduation, Varun served as a trainee at Leo Burnett Advertising for less than a year. He then started his career as a marketing manager at Tata AIG Life Insurance and Franklin Templeton Investments. Varun then founded Coverfox Insurance Broking Pvt. Ltd. Before he founded Coverfox in 2013, Varun founded Glitterbug Technologies. Varun Dua holds a prominent role as one of the Sharks on Season 3 of Shark Tank, adding his expertise and insights to the entrepreneurial landscape.
His achievements include:
- Featured in Forbes' "30 Under 30" list for Finance.
- Won the Global New Venture Challenge in 2020, receiving $20,000 for his startup idea.
- Recognized as an influential entrepreneur by several business publications.
Sarika Anand
Kunal Bahl
| Name | Kunal Bahl |
|---|---|
| Born | 1 January 1984 |
| Position | Co-founder of Snapdeal and Titan Capital |
Kunal is the co-founder of Snapdeal. Bahl was a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where he completed a degree in Systems Engineering. He is also an alumnus of The Wharton School where he studied Marketing and Operations Strategy and also did Executive Program in Marketing from Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management.
Bahl was also there in the Jerome Fischer M&T Program. In his professional career, Kunal started as an Independent Director of Piramal Enterprises Limited before co-founding Snapdeal in 2010. Bahl also co-founded Titan Capital in 2011 and AceVector Group in June 2022. Thus, Kunal can be summed up as an investor and entrepreneur who aims to create impact through entrepreneurship.
Kunal Bhal has been awarded with the following awards:
- BMA Entrepreneur of the Year 2014
- ET Top 50 Entrepreneurs of India 2014
- Ranked 25 on Fortune 40 under 40 most influential business leaders list 2014
- EY Entrepreneur of the Year - Startup 2014
- Nasscom NextGen Entrepreneur 2014
- The Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2015
- AIMA Transformational Business Leader of the Year
- Indian Affairs Business Leader of the Year 2015
- The Joseph Wharton Award for Young Leadership 2018
- The Economic Times Comeback Award 2019
Shubham Kumar
Viraj Bahl
| Name | Viraj Bahl |
|---|---|
| Born | 1980 |
| Position | Founder & Managing Director of Veeba |
Viraj Bahl is an innovative young entrepreneur with a passion for food. Viraj was born into a long line of entrepreneurs. He wanted to prove to his father that he could be more than just his son.
Viraj had a lifelong passion for working in the food industry. From a failed restaurant business to building an INR 1,000 crore brand and becoming a new panelist on Shark Tank India, Viraj Bahl is a visionary entrepreneur whose passion for food turned into a national success. With much hard work, along with a few roadblocks, today Veeba stands as one of the largest homegrown sauce and condiments brands in India.
Viraj's achievements include:
- Entrepreneur of the Year 2020 - Economic Times Awards for Innovation and Excellence in Indian Food Industry.
- Top 50 Most Admired Entrepreneurs in India, 2018 Business Today for visionary leadership in building Veeba Foods.
- Best Food Processing Brand, 2019 - Veeba, the Indian Food Forum has given an award that recognizes its high-quality and innovative offerings.
- Sustainable Business Excellence 2021 Winner from FSSAI for Veeba's commitment towards sustainability and healthy food production practices.
- Fastest-Growing FMCG Brand, 2022 - Economic Times Edge Awarded to Veeba for fast growth and impact in the FMCG sector.
Sakshi Jadhav
Vikas D Nahar
| Name | Vikas D Nahar |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 |
| Position | Founder and CEO, Happilo |
Born in Bangalore, Vikas D Nahar comes from a farming family background that grew pepper and coffee. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Computer Application from Bangalore University and began his career as a Senior Import Manager (Asia) at Jain Group Pvt. Ltd. Afterward, he pursued a Master of Business Administration in Marketing from the Symbiosis Centre For Management and Human Resource Development in Pune.
Following his MBA, Vikas joined Satvikk Speciality Foods Pvt. Ltd. as the Managing Director. Satvikk Speciality Foods is a health-focused food store that opened its first branch in Bangalore in December 2011. Vikas served as its Managing Director for almost five years. His experience at Satvikk finally helped him establish Happilo, the popular gourmet healthy food brand, in 2016.
Nahar has received numerous prestigious awards and recognitions, including:
- Entrepreneur of the Year 2021 by the Indian Achievers Forum
- ET Entrepreneur of the Year
- SIAL Innovation Awards 2022
- Times' 40 Under 40
Shalini Rath
FAQs
What is Shark Tank India?
Shark Tank India is an Indian business reality television series based on the popular global format Shark Tank. It has budding entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of potential investors called 'Sharks' to secure investment deals.
Who will be the sharks in Shark Tank India?
Vineeta Singh, Peeyush Bansal, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, Amit Jain, Deepinder Goyal, Varun Dua, Radhika Gupta, Ronnie Screwvala, Azhar Iquabal, Ritesh Agarwal, and Aman Gupta are the sharks in Shark Tank India. Season four of the show will feature two new sharks, Kunal Bahl and Viraj Bahl.
When will Shark Tank premiere in India?
Shark Tank Season Four premiered on Sony LIV on January 06, 2025.
