Mumbai: The Business Reality show – Shark Tank is gearing up for its very first season in India against the vibrant and dynamic business environment humming in the background. Sony Entertainment Television promises to offer a reinvigorating experience for business enthusiasts through Shark Tank India by providing an opportunity and a platform to entrepreneurs with interesting business ideas, business prototypes or active businesses that will be evaluated by business experts a.k.a The Sharks. Launching on 20th December, on Sony Entertainment Television & SonyLIV, Shark Tank India is going to be a constructive entertainment experience, as India’s aspiring entrepreneurs showcase their business capabilities.
For Shark Tank India, SonyLIV has partnered with upGrad- Asia’s higher EdTech major, Acko General Insurance, and Black Dog Drinking Soda as the co-presenting sponsors; Cashfree Payments as Payments Partner; Flipkart as Digital Partner and Dell Technologies as Technology Partner.
Representing the diverse and disruptive start-up ecosystem in India, meet the Sharks of the Indian edition – Ashneer Grover (Founder and Managing Director of BharatPe), Vineeta Singh (CEO & Co-founder of SUGAR Cosmetics), Peeyush Bansal (Founder & CEO of Lenskart), Namita Thapar (Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals), Anupam Mittal (Founder and CEO of Shaadi.com – People Group), Ghazal Alagh (Co-founder and Chief Mama of Mamaearth) and Aman Gupta (Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at boAt). These Sharks will evaluate the potential of aspiring entrepreneurs from across India and investing their monies in ideas that these budding entrepreneurs bring to the table.
With the ever-growing startup ecosystem in India, and the enthusiasm of Indians to learn more about business growth and success. With maximum interest amongst categories like BFSI, E-Commerce, EdTech, Digital Payment Ecosystem, Consumer Durables and Technology Brands, SonyLIV sold out almost 75% of its ad inventory two months before the show goes on-air.
Ranjana Mangla, Sr. Vice President & Head of Ad Revenue – Sony LIV at Sony Pictures Networks India – Digital Business “Shark Tank India offers India’s entrepreneurs an incredible opportunity to propel themselves into the world of business. With the launch of the India edition of Shark Tank, we will be adding to our library of diverse, engaging content. The show has a unique proposition that has attracted brands from across categories such as Ecommerce, Edtech, Beverages, Consumer Durables, Handset, Auto and BFSI. Currently, we have managed to sell over 75% of our ad inventory and on-boarded six sponsors for the show.”
Ashish Mishra, EVP Marketing, ACKO said “We at ACKO definitely understand what it takes to turn a dream into a successful venture. So, we are excited to be associating with the first ever season of Shark Tank India, a show that we believe can help boost India’s start-up ecosystem and encourage entrepreneurship across India. I wish all the contestants of Shark Tank India the very best in the show.”
Arjun Mohan, CEO – India, upGrad said “We are really thrilled to be associating with SonyLIV for its first season of Shark Tank India. At upGrad, it is our aim to support professionals in their Lifelong Learning journey and equip them with evolving skills required to venture out into the professional world, which shall also help them survive the market roller-coaster. This is similar to what Shark Tank India aims to do with the aspiring entrepreneurs who are looking forward to creating successful businesses for a better future of our country. We are sure we will have a productive and long-lasting association with SonyLIV and are excited for the launch of the world’s most popular business reality show in its Indian edition.”
Akash Sinha, Co-Founder and CEO, Cashfree Payments said “We are elated to associate with Shark Tank India, in their bid to support budding entrepreneurs and the rapidly-growing Indian start-up ecosystem. Innovation resides at the very core of Cashfree Payments’ operations as well as offerings, and we understand the significance of early assistance in the growth of any start-up. All our services reflect the Make in India initiative, which assist businesses in their digitization necessity. We look forward to nurturing this partnership, which will help us contribute towards the development of a favorable business environment to foster innovation in the startup space.”
