Shark Tank

Name

Shark Tank

Legal name

Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited

Website

https://sharktank.sonyliv.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Shark Tank India is a Hindi-language business reality television series where aspiring entrepreneurs pitch their startup ideas and consumer brands to a panel of high-profile investor "sharks" seeking equity investment. The series airs on Sony Entertainment Television and streams on Sony LIV, delivering entertainment content combined with on-air investment deal-making, brand showcases, and audience engagement for early-stage Indian businesses.

Product overview

Shark Tank India is a television investment platform broadcast on SonyLIV, operated by Sony Pictures Networks India Private Limited. The show features entrepreneurs pitching to a panel of investor 'sharks' (including Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, and others) who invest their own capital in exchange for equity stakes. The platform serves as both a funding mechanism and marketing accelerator for Indian startups, with entrepreneurs applying through the SonyLIV registration portal for season participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Shark Tank India Season 1 The inaugural season of the Hindi-language business reality television series, featuring entrepreneurs pitching their business ideas to a panel of investor 'sharks' for equity investment. Aired on Sony Entertainment Television and streamed on Sony LIV, targeting Indian mass-market viewers and early-stage startup founders.
• Shark Tank India (television series — ongoing seasons) The flagship Hindi-language business reality television series in India, in which aspiring entrepreneurs pitch to a panel of investor 'sharks' for equity investment. The show is broadcast on Sony Entertainment Television and streamed on Sony LIV, functioning as both entertainment content and a national launchpad for early-stage Indian consumer brands.
• Shark Tank India Season 5 Season 5 of the Hindi-language business reality television series, featuring investor panel including Aman Gupta (Boat), Namita Thapar (Emcure), Anupam Mittal (Shaadi.com), Vineeta Singh (Sugar Cosmetics), and others. Deals include D2C and consumer brand investments such as Snitch and Heritage Foods-linked businesses.
• Shark Tank India Digital-Only Season A digital-only season of Shark Tank India produced under pandemic restrictions, distributed via Sony LIV streaming platform with entrepreneurs pitching remotely to the shark panel.
• Shark Tank India Women Entrepreneur Segment (L'Oréal Paris sponsored) A sponsored segment of Shark Tank India, in partnership with L'Oréal Paris, dedicated to women-led consumer and lifestyle brand founders pitching to the shark panel for investment and visibility.

Quantifiable outcome

• Shark Tank India has invested over Rs 61 crore in startups across multiple seasons
• +1 more outcomes

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• L'Oréal PariscoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 July 2026L'Oréal Paris partnered with Shark Tank India to launch an exclusive application window for women entrepreneurs from July 2-11, 2026, ahead of Season 6. The initiative provides selected applicants opportunities to pitch to the sharks and access mentorship and national visibility, aiming to boost women's participation in India's startup ecosystem.
• WPP MediaminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 July 2026WPP Media served as the strategic media partner for the L'Oréal Paris and Shark Tank India women entrepreneurship initiative, supporting campaign reach and visibility.
• SEBRAE SPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026JOVI announced partnership with SEBRAE SP and Shark Tank Brasil as part of its strategy to expand presence in Brazil targeting entrepreneurs, including creation of Academia JOVI & SEBRAE SP digital training platform for micro and small business owners.
• JOVIminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 March 2026JOVI sponsored Shark Tank Brasil program where one early-stage entrepreneur will receive R$50,000 investment plus a JOVI smartphone as part of entrepreneurship expansion initiatives.
• CanvacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 February 2026Canva partnered with Shark Tank India to empower entrepreneurs with design tools as part of India's creator economy stack. The partnership aligns with Canva's $200 million Creator Program focused on vernacular design ecosystems and AI-enabled workflows.

Scale indicators8 records

Direct peers

• Dragons' Den: BBC's original business investment reality show and the direct format progenitor of Shark Tank. Entrepreneurs pitch UK investors for equity; functions as the source-format sibling that Shark Tank India is franchised from, making it the most structurally comparable property globally.
• Shark Tank (US): The US version of the format on ABC, produced by Sony Pictures Television. Operates the same pitch-for-equity mechanics with celebrity-investor sharks, making it the canonical benchmark for show-format economics, audience scale, and brand outcomes that Shark Tank India is benchmarked against.
• Shark Tank Brasil: Brazilian version of the format airing on Sony Channel/RecordTV. Same sharks-pitches-equity mechanics, similar emerging-market audience targeting, and recently expanded through JOVI/SEBRAE SP partnerships — directly comparable format execution outside India.

Broad incumbents

• The Apprentice: Long-running business reality franchise (BBC/UK originally; multiple global versions). Overlaps with Shark Tank India by combining business-themed entertainment with high-profile investor/entrepreneur hosts, though structured around a competition rather than direct equity pitches.
• Sony Pictures Television: Parent format owner and worldwide distributor of the Shark Tank franchise. Operates the same content licensing and production infrastructure that produces Shark Tank India, making it comparable as the global rights holder and benchmark for production economics.
• Endemol Shine (Banijay): One of the world's largest independent reality-TV production and format houses, producing business and entertainment franchises including Your Face or Mine?, MasterChef, and Deal or No Deal spin-offs. Comparable as the broader reality-TV production ecosystem that competes for format rights and Indian broadcaster budgets.
• Zee Entertainment Enterprises: Major Indian broadcaster (Hindi/GEC + regional) with a slate of business and entrepreneurship reality shows. Operates as a domestic peer competing for the same television ad budgets and SonyLIV-set audience attention in India.
• Viacom18 (JioCinema): Indian broadcaster and JioCinema streaming operator that runs competing business/cooking/pitch reality formats. Comparable as a direct competitor for both entrepreneur applicants and pan-India audiences in the same Hindi/GEC+OTT category.

Emerging players

• Lions' Den (BBC): Newer BBC business pitch show aimed at younger entrepreneurs. Partial overlap with Shark Tank India in targeting founder demographics and digital-first entrepreneurship audiences; comparable as a format extension exploring segment-specific niches.
• YourStory Media: Indian media platform covering startups and entrepreneurs with original video content and founder storytelling. Niche, India-focused, content-driven founder audience comparable to Shark Tank India's pitch applicant pool and d2c/tech startup marketing angle.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments2 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Shark Tank