“Ek kaand aur aapki travel agency band…” says Aman Gupta; “But SOTC & Thomas Cook didn’t close,” responds Capture A Trip CEO Nitin Khanna

In a recent episode of the Startup Pedia podcast, Capture A Trip founder and CEO Nitin Khanna addressed the sharp scepticism he faced on Shark Tank India, specifically responding to Aman Gupta’s warning that a single safety ‘kaand’ (incident) could shut down his entire business. 

Khanna countered this narrative on the podcast by questioning why legacy giants like SOTC and Thomas Cook have thrived for decades despite the inherent risks of the travel industry.

He further explained that while these legacy brands have dominated for years, they have fundamentally failed to evolve for the Gen Z demographic. 

He emphasised that his competitive edge lies in niche community travel, arguing that a brand cannot achieve modern scalability if it continues to sell the same generic itinerary to an old man and a young trekker alike.

"One itinerary shouldn't be sold to a millennial, a child, and a Gen Z trekker alike. If legacy giants like SOTC and Thomas Cook had evolved for the youth, they would already be Capture A Trip today,"Nitin Khanna told Jameel Akhtar, co-founder of Startup Pedia and podcast host.

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Aman Gupta’s Exit from the Deal

In the Shark Tank India episode featuring the business pitch for Capture A Trip, Shark Aman Gupta exited the deal by raising the ‘3S’ issues: Safety, Scalability, and Shareholding.

Gupta expressed strong scepticism, particularly regarding the high-risk nature of the travel industry, famously warning founder Nitin Khanna that a single mishap could shut your entire business.

He further noted that the complexity of managing large groups across diverse locations created a scalability nightmare and voiced concerns over the existing shareholder structure and high equity dilution before the company had reached its full potential.

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The One Itinerary Fallacy

Nitin Khanna identifies the one-size-fits-all approach as the primary reason legacy travel companies are failing to capture the youth market. 

He argues that the industry hasn't evolved because legacy giants like SOTC and Thomas Cook remain stagnant, pushing homogenised packages to a dangerously diverse demographic, from grandfathers to youth.

He highlights a massive physical and lifestyle disconnect in traditional tour planning, noting that his father’s travel needs are fundamentally different from his own. 

"How can my parents' itinerary be the same as mine? I can wake up at 6:00 AM and run, I can go trekking, and I can do everything that they cannot. I can party late into the night and still be up at 6:00 AM to do something else. But their schedule is strictly from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM,” Capture A Trip founder says.

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The Evolution of the Niche

He concludes that by failing to segment by age and mindset, legacy companies have left a massive gap in the market. 

He asserts that Capture A Trip is simply the evolved version of these companies, specifically designed for the Gen Z and millennial segment that refuses to travel in the ‘old, boring way.’

“SOTC and Thomas Cook didn't evolve, so we arrived. We are doing the same work, but with a little more brain. We are selling a specific age group segment because my parents' itinerary can't be like mine,”Nitin tells Startup Pedia in an exclusive podcast.

About Capture A Trip

Capture A Trip is a Delhi-based experiential travel startup founded in 2016 by Nitin Khanna that specialises in community-led journeys for Gen Z and millennial solo travellers.

Originally inspired by Khanna’s personal transformative trekking experience in Kasol, the company has evolved into a leading youth travel brand by replacing traditional sightseeing with experiential products like the matchmaker for singles and specialised northern lights expeditions.

On Shark Tank India, the startup secured a Rs 75 Lakh investment for 5% equity from Kunal Bahl and Mohit Yadav, valuing the company at Rs 15 Crores. 

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