“They saw Anupam (Mittal) and me become heroes,” Aman Gupta claims new sharks are using show for image makeover

Speaking on a podcast with Prakhar Gupta, boAt co-founder Aman Gupta and one of the original faces of Shark Tank India, hinted that some of the new sharks may be using the platform to improve their public image.

Aman Gupta claims new sharks are using show for image makeover

According to Aman Gupta, while the judges who have remained on the show since season one didn’t have any hidden agendas, the new sharks on the panel are eyeing the show as a means to whitewash their images.

“I like those whose companies are performing well. They’re original and aren’t in the show to fix their character. My character has been clean right from the start. I don’t want to take names otherwise it’d lead to controversy. There were people who had initially rejected Shark Tank, but once they saw Anupam (Mittal) and me become heroes, they had FOMO. So they kept chasing the makers asking them to make them sharks. And now, they’re sharks,” said Aman.

Shark Tank India is the Indian version of the American business reality show, which premiered on Sony Entertainment Television and SonyLIV in 2021.

boAt founder Aman Gupta, Shaadi.com founder Anupam Mittal, Emcure Pharmaceuticals executive director Namita Thapar, Lenskart co-founder Peyush Bansal, and Sugar Cosmetics co-founder Vineeta Singh have been on the judges' panel since season 1.

On Prakhar Gupta’s podcast, the angel investor remarked, “Aman Gupta may have evolved from season 1 to 4, but his character has been the same. We don’t do any useless stuff. Love us or hate us, this is who we are. Namita (Thapar) always been honest about where her expertise lies. I had a way of life, I’d do it, I’m not scared. That’s why I sometimes don’t like these new sharks, otherwise it’s okay.”

Aman disclosed that he chooses happiness over money. “Money is never-ending. I think a little differently. You should just be happy with what you’re doing, and money would follow. I wasn’t happy with what I was doing. When I quit my job at JBL, I was sitting at home jobless for four to five years. I didn’t earn anything then, but I was happy because I was doing what I wanted to, and eventually, money came in,” he said.

Aman Gupta co-founded the electronics company, boAt Lifestyle, in 2016 with Sameer Mehta.

Also read: No project? No pay hike from now on! TCS mandates new deployment policy for employees (startuppedia.in)