Shark Tank's Aman Gupta recalls time when ‘Indians weren’t respected in Goa’: ‘Only Israelis were…’

BoAt co-founder, and Shark Tank India judge Aman Gupta opened up about the changing party culture in Goa, recalling how the scene was very different in the early 2000s. Speaking on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, the 43-year-old entrepreneur shared his memories of partying in the forests of Goa with friends and foreign tourists.

Gupta said that back then, Indian tourists were not as welcome in certain parts of the state. “At Anjuna beach, only Israelis were given a place. I remember, this was a Goa where Indians did not get a place to stay as Israelis used to lead that place. All these Goan people actually did not respect Indians that much,” he recalled.

The boAt co-founder also spoke about the exclusive nature of the forest parties at the time. “These parties, they were such parties that we didn’t know the venue. We would take our scooter and ask our foreigner friends, ‘Aaj party kahan hai?’” he said, adding, “In 2000, Bamboo Forest was very popular in Goa.”

Gupta noted that during those times, he and his group were often the only Indians at such gatherings. “This time, when we used to go to Goa, there were no Indians. We were the only Indians there at Bamboo forest parties],” he said.

Reflecting on the present-day scene, Gupta pointed out how the perception has changed. “If you see today, Indians can pay more than anybody else. So India has evolved and Indian tourists are also welcomed now,” he said.