Anupam Mittal defends Shark Tank 5 after people told him it won't work: ‘Never meant to be just an investing TV show'

Founder & CEO of People Group, Anupam Mittal, recently opened up about Shark Tank India 5 as the shark returned with a new season of the show. Recalling people telling him why the show won't work in India, Mittal shared pointers on why his show is worth a watch.

Although he called the doubts ‘technically correct’, he reasoned why it has become irrelevant with time.

Anupam Mittal on Shark Tank India Season 5 criticism

In a long post, Shaadi.com's Mittal wrote, “They said it will never work. They also said investing is too niche for Indian households. Both statements were technically correct. But 4 yrs & 5 seasons in, completely irrelevant. Because Shark Tank India was never meant to be just an investing TV show. 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 shared the scale of the show, which ‘people didn’t anticipate'. “2000 founders stepped into the Tank in just 4 years. 952 pitches made it to air. 250 episodes produced in 5 seasons (US took 16 to reach 350). 436 deals closed, 388 cr committed.”

How did the startups benefit from the show? Mittal claimed: “20+ companies crossed ₹50 crore in annualised revenue. 50+ companies grew 5X after appearing on the show. 30+ companies raised institutional or strategic capital.1 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.”

He went on to share that “80% of pitchers were non-Ivy / non-pedigree”, while "43% of pitches had at least one woman founder."

“20% of founders in Season 5 are over 40 - and rising since S1. 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.”

“2000 founders” on Shark Tank India

He continued to praise the show and shared ‘clear signals’ that make Shark Tank India worth watching.

“1, Founders building global businesses from Day 1. 2, A meaningful rise in AI native businesses. 3, Valuations staying range bound for 3 years as sanity replaces vanity.”

“These aren't just headlines. It is a mindset shift that compounds. What got us here. The 2000 courageous founders - they are the real heroes. The tireless 200+ magicians behind the heroes. The OG Sharks who risked ridicule & jumped into untested waters. And our audience, fans & supporters who gave us room to fail,” he wrapped up with a picture from the sets of the show.

Who are the sharks of Shark Tank India Season 5

Shark Tank India Season 5 premiered on 5 January. This season's judges include Aman Gupta (boAt), Namita Thapar (Emcure Pharmaceuticals), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), Vineeta Singh (Sugar Cosmetics), Anupam Mittal (Shaadi.com), Ritesh Agarwal (OYO Rooms), Amit Jain (CarDekho), Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal, Titan Capital),Viraj Bahl (Veeba), Varun Alagh (Honasa Consumer), Mohit Yadav (Minimalist), Shaily Mehrotra (Fixderma), Hardik Kothiya (Rayzon Solar) and Kanika Tekriwal (JetSetGo).