Are you curious about the brilliant minds behind Shark Tank India? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the fascinating world of India’s top business leaders who serve as judges on this popular show.
From tech innovators to retail revolutionaries, these sharks have made their mark on India’s business landscape.
Who Are the Shark Tank India Judges in 2024?
The third season of Shark Tank India brings together some of the most successful entrepreneurs in the country.
Let’s meet these business titans and discover their incredible journeys to success.
Here are the 12 Shark Tank India Judges
Judge Name | Net Worth | Company |
1. Ritesh Agarwal | ₹16,000 crores | OYO Rooms |
2. Amit Jain | ₹2,900 crores | CarDekho |
3. Deepinder Goyal | ₹2,030 crores | Zomato |
4. Aman Gupta | ₹720 crores | BOAT |
5. Namita Thapar | ₹600 crores | Emcure Pharmaceuticals |
6. Peyush Bansal | ₹600 crores | Lenskart |
7. Azhar Iqubal | ₹500 crores | InShorts |
8. Vineeta Singh | ₹300 crores | SUGAR Cosmetics |
9. Anupam Mittal | ₹185 crores | People Group (Shaadi.com) |
10. Ronnie Screwvala | $1.55 billion (₹13,000 crores) | UpGrad |
11. Ghazal Alagh | ₹150 crores | Mamaearth |
12. Radhika Gupta | ₹41 crores | Edelweiss Mutual Fund |
1. Ritesh Agarwal
Source: Google Images
- Net Worth: ₹16,000 crores
- Company: OYO Rooms
- Claim to Fame: Youngest Indian billionaire at age 30
Ritesh Agarwal was born on the 16th of November 1993 and is an indian businessman and billionaire who created the enterpriseoyo rooms, or OYO, and works as its manager. He featured on Shark Tank India in 2024 as a guest shark on the show’s third season. At 37, he finds himself among the youngest Indian billionaires and is ranked at 8 in the 2024 Hurun Rich List of India with a total worth of $225 million (about ₹1,900 crore).
Ritesh has Marwari origin, and he was born in Bissam Cuttack, Orissa, India. He was born in Titilargarh but his family owned a small shop in Rayagada, a sparsely located state of Odisha in India. He went to the Sacred Heart School and the last two years he went to St. John’s Senior Secondary School. He was in Delhi for his college since 2011.
On March 7, 2023, Ritesh Weds Geetansha Sood, Born in Lucknow, city of India.
Our Shark Tank India roll call of the richest occupant sees 30-year-old Ritesh Agarwal take the spot. The story of a boy from a small village to launching OYO Rooms is something that needs to be heard. Since the beginning of its operation in 2013, OYO has expanded into the world’s largest chain of leased and franchised hotels in over 80 countries.
2. Amit Jain- Shark Tank India Judge
Source: Google Images
Net Worth: ₹2,900 crores
Company: CarDekho
Background: IIT Delhi graduate
As the CEO of CarDekho.com, Amit Jain has changed the way people in India are buying and selling cars online. InsuranceDekho and CollegeDekho are its expansions in other verticals, which certainly prove his ability to identify opportunities in the market.
3. Deepinder Goyal: The Food Tech Entrepreneur
Source: Google Images
Net Worth: ₹2,030 crores
Company: Zomato
Innovation: The target business transformed the delivery of food in India
An online food delivery site, was established in 2008 by Deepinder Goyal and Pankaj Chaddah in India. Initially, it was created as ‘FoodieBay’ to provide users with restaurant menus and reviews, and then it was renamed as Zomato in 2010, as the founders wanted to play a much larger role.
Global Expansion (2011–2015)
After Zomato started its operations in metropolitan cities of India, it stepped into the international market at the beginning of 2012 with its operations in the UAE, UK, & Sri Lanka. The pace remained high, and Aluminium shares entered new markets like Turkey, Brazil, and South Africa. A year later, Zomato bought Urbanspoon, a player based in the United States that helped the firm to challenge other dominant international players such as Yelp and Foursquare.
4. Aman Gupta: The Audio King
Source: Google Images
Net Worth: ₹720 crores
Company: BOAT
Achievement: Established India’s most popular speakers and audio accessories brand
This man chartered accountant gave up the job and started the business for the young Indians. The firm was founded in 2016 and the young man has been able to establish the firm as a major contender in the audio accessories market.
Aman Gupta, born on March 4, 1982, is an Indian entrepreneur and co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, an electronics brand known for headphones, smartwatches, and speakers. He is also a prominent investor on Sony TV’s Shark Tank India, where he has served as a judge across three seasons.
Gupta grew up in Delhi and attended Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram, before graduating from Shaheed Bhagat Singh College. He furthered his education with an MBA in Finance and Strategy from the Indian School of Business and another in General Management and Marketing from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management.
Before founding BoAt in 2016 with Sameer Mehta, Gupta worked as an assistant manager at Citi, a senior management consultant at KPMG, and later as CEO of Advanced Telemedia. His passion for music inspired him to create BoAt, which quickly became a popular electronics brand in India.
5. Namita Thapar- One of the Shark Tank India Judges
Source: Google Images
Net Worth: ₹600 crores
Company: Emcure Pharmaceuticals
Expertise: Healthcare and Pharmaceutical noting a higher percentage value for the Muslim Segment, true for the percent overall value noted, but for the Muslim Segment it is 5 percent higher than the general percent value.
Education With her deep knowledge of finance and pharmaceuticals, Emcure Pharmaceuticals is one of the leading healthcare companies in the world that owes its success to Namita Thapar. She started investing in companies through Shark Tank India and has invested in over 100 companies.
6. Peyush Bansal: This Man Changed Eyewear As We Know It
Source: Google Images
Net Worth: ₹600 crores
Company: Lenskart
Innovation: Brought drastic changes in the Indian eyewear industry.
Peyush Bansal was born on April 26, 1985. He is an Indian-born business tycoon and business magnate. He is the co-founder and CEO of Lenskart, an Indian multinational eyewear retail chain based in Gurugram.
Bansal belongs to the Bansal clan and worked at Microsoft New Technologies in the United States before venturing into his business. He used to study at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, and after his tenure at Microsoft, he started selling goggles online in the United States. He also started Valyoo Technologies before beginning his journey with Lenskart.
Peyush Bansal’s journey from SearchMyCampus.com to Lenskart shows his entrepreneurial evolution. Today, Lenskart operates over 700 stores across India, making eyewear accessible to millions.
7. Azhar Iqubal – The News Innovator
Source: Google Images
- Net Worth: ₹500 crores
- Company: InShorts
- Innovation: Revolutionized news consumption with 60-word summaries
An IIT Delhi dropout, Azhar, has changed how Indians consume news through InShorts. His app’s success earned him a spot in Forbes’ “30 Under 30” list in 2016.
Azhar Iqubal, born on January 18, 1992, is an Indian entrepreneur and co-founder & CEO of the content distribution company inShorts, which he started with Deepit Purkayastha and Anunay Arunav. As of March 2024, his estimated net worth is around ₹500 crore.
Born in Kishanganj, Bihar, and raised in New Delhi, Iqubal attended a private school and cleared the IIT JEE in 2009, securing admission to IIT Delhi for a BTech in Computer Science, though he later dropped out. In 2024, he appeared as an investor on Shark Tank India’s Season 3.
8. Vineeta Singh – The Beauty Maven
Source: Google Images
- Net Worth: ₹300 crores
- Company: SUGAR Cosmetics
- Achievement: Built a leading Indian cosmetics brand
An IIT Madras and IIM Ahmedabad graduate, Vineeta Singh rejected lucrative job offers to pursue her entrepreneurial dreams. SUGAR Cosmetics has become one of India’s fastest-growing makeup brands under her leadership.
- Vineeta Singh, born in 1983 in Anand, Gujarat, is an Indian entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Sugar Cosmetics. She is also an esteemed judge as well as an investor in the Indian TV show known as Shark Tank India that started airing since 2021.
- Singh’s schooling was at Delhi Public School, R.K. Puram; he then completed a degree in electrical engineering at IIT Madras in 2005. She then returned to India to pursue her MBA degree in IIM Ahmedabad, where she finished in 2007. While in MBA, Singh had an internship at the Deutsche Bank and rejected a fancy paid job to venture into business. Her first foray into the lingerie industry failed primarily because of financial problems.
9. Anupam Mittal: The Digital Matchmaker
Source: Google Images
- Net Worth: ₹185 crores
- Company: People Group (Shaadi.com)
- Portfolio: Invested in over 250 startups
Anupam Mittal of Shaadi.com fame is also acting as an angel investor for the Ola Cabs, BigBasket, and many others.
Anupam Mittal, born on December 23, 1971, is an Indian entrepreneur, investor, and CEO of People Group, best known for founding Shaadi.com, an online matrimonial platform. A prominent angel investor, Mittal has funded over 250 startups, including Ola Cabs, BigBasket, and Rapido, covering diverse sectors like clean tech, healthcare, and SaaS.
He has also appeared as a “Shark” on Shark Tank India for three seasons, investing millions in various businesses.
With an MBA from Boston College, Anupam Mittal initially worked at MicroStrategy before launching Shaadi.com and other ventures like Mauj Mobile and Makaan.com.
He has served as the Chairperson of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and received the Karmaveer Chakra Award.
10. Ronnie Screwvala
Source: Google Images
Ronnie Screwvala is one of the most popular Indian businessmen and a director in the sphere of media and entertainment, as well as an educator. Subsequently, he started the Ed Tech platform UpGrad, an online higher education company with a worth of $ 2.25 billion, which offers a host of programs in collaboration with university and industry leaders.
Screwvala has also been involved in the establishment of UTV Software Communications in the 1990s, which transformed into the largest media and entertainment conglomerate before being bought by the Walt Disney Company. He started RSVP Movies, his personal movie production house, in 2017 and also incorporated Unilazer Ventures and the Swades Foundation.
Latter, he became the judge of the third installment of the Indian show ‘Shark Tank’. Therefore, his estimated net worth is $1.55 billion (₹13,000 crores).
11. Ghazal Alagh
Source: Google Images
- Company: He is also the co-founder of Mamaearth, started in 2016, which deals in chemical-free baby and personal care products.
- Net Worth: $20 million (₹150 crores).
Achievements: Mamaearth joined the Unicorn club in 2022, valued at $1.2 billion. The company launched its IPO on November 7, 2023.
Shark Tank India: Participated as a judge in Season 1, earning INR 8 lakh per episode before discontinuing.
Ghazal Alagh is the co-founder of Honasa Consumer, the parent company of Mamaearth, an Indian personal care brand specializing in natural, toxin-free products for families. Founded in 2016 by Ghazal and her husband, Varun Alagh, Mamaearth aims to provide safe, sustainable products for both people and the planet.
Today, Mamaearth is valued at over INR 10,000 crore and is Asia’s first MADE SAFE-certified brand. Ghazal is also known for her role on Shark Tank India.
Biography
Born on September 2, 1988, in Chandigarh, Ghazal completed her schooling in Gurgaon. Though initially interested in non-medical studies, she later gravitated towards computer science, eventually choosing not to pursue competitive exams, much to her parents’ initial surprise. Her parents supported her decision, though with the expectation that she would learn the value of hard work independently.
This led Ghazal to intern with a modest stipend while continuing her studies, marking the beginning of her journey into the world of business.
12. Radhika Gupta
Source: Google Images
- Company: Managing Director and CEO of Edelweiss Mutual Fund since 2017.
- Net Worth: ₹41 crores.
- Achievements: Under her leadership, Edelweiss Mutual Fund became a leading player in India, with innovative products and services that consistently outperform benchmarks.
- Edelweiss Mutual Fund Details: Manages assets totaling ₹146,280 crores across 57 schemes, including equity, debt, and hybrid funds.
Radhika Gupta is an Indian business executive and the Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss Asset Management, where she initially served as the business head of multi-strategy funds, shaping the strategic direction for investments and distribution.
Notably, she is the only female leader of a major asset management firm in India and established the country’s first domestic hedge fund. Gupta is also a public speaker, with her talk titled “The Girl With a Broken Neck” gaining over 110,000 views on YouTube.
She holds joint degrees in economics from the Wharton School and computer science engineering from the University of Pennsylvania’s Management and Technology Program.
Impact on Indian Startups
These sharks aren’t just successful entrepreneurs; they’re actively shaping India’s startup ecosystem.
Here’s how they’re making a difference:
- Financial Support: They provide crucial funding to promising startups
- Mentorship: Entrepreneurs benefit from their years of experience
- Networking: Startups gain access to valuable business connections
- Visibility: The show provides national exposure to participating startups
Success Stories from the Tank
Many startups have seen remarkable growth after receiving investment and guidance from these judges.
Some notable examples include:
- BoAt (Pre-Shark Tank success story)
- Lenskart (Pre-Shark Tank success story)
- Several season 1 and 2 startups have shown significant growth
What Makes These Sharks Special?
Educational Background
- IIT graduates
- IIM alumni
- International education from prestigious institutions
Industry Diversity
- Technology
- Healthcare
- Retail
- Food delivery
- Digital services
- Beauty and cosmetics
Investment Philosophy
- Focus on scalable business models
- Emphasis on founder capability
- Interest in innovative solutions
- Consideration of market potential
Tips for Entrepreneurs
Based on the sharks’ success stories, here are key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs:
- Focus on Innovation: Create unique solutions for real problems
- Build Strong Teams: Surround yourself with talented people
- Stay Persistent: Success often comes after multiple attempts
- Know Your Numbers: Understanding finances is crucial
- Think Scale: Plan for growth from day one
Conclusion
The Shark Tank India judges represent the diversity and dynamism of Indian entrepreneurship. From traditional sectors like pharmaceuticals to cutting-edge technology, these business leaders have proven that with vision, determination, and innovation, extraordinary success is possible.
Their presence on Shark Tank India not only provides entertainment but also valuable insights into building successful businesses. They serve as inspiration for the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs, showing that with the right mindset and execution, anyone can achieve their business dreams.