Startup Reality Shows Make Entrepreneurship A Dinner Table Conversation Following the massive success of Shark Tank India seasons 1 and 2, Jio Cinema will release 'Indian Angels', which will reportedly be the world's first angel investment show on OTT

India is today home to over 99,000 DPIIT-recognized startups across 670 districts of the country and is the third largest ecosystem for startups globally.

The entrepreneurship boom began in India with the advent of smartphones, increased internet penetration and technological advancements. Additionally, the initial success stories of companies such as Flipkart, Ola, Oyo and many others pushed more people to take up entrepreneurship.

And, recently, shows such as Shark Tank India have been further encouraging young talents to consider entrepreneurship as a career choice. These shows have also been building aspirations across the nook and corner of the country. Today, a majority of the people have a better understanding of startup terms such as Series A, B, angel investments, among others, thanks to these shows.

Entrepreneurship has reached the masses today and here are the shows that are taking it to every city, town and village of the country.

Shark Tank India

After successful seasons 1 and 2, the popular Indian reality show Shark Tank India has started shooting for its third season. Shark Tank 3 will have Emcure Pharmaceuticals's Executive Director Namita Thapar, Shaadi.com's founder Anupam Mittal, boAt co-founder Aman Gupta, Sugar Cosmetics' CEO Vineeta Singh, and co-founder of CarDekho Amit Jain. New judges or sharks who will be seen this year will be Oyo's Ritesh Agarwal and Zomato's Deepinder Goyal and Inshorts' Azhar Iqubal.

''Ten years ago, as I was stepping into my 20s, I took a leap of faith and dropped out of IIT Delhi to start Inshorts. The last decade has been a wild ride, full of excitement. Those tireless nights resulted in making a mark in the social media industry. A decade later, as I step into my 30s, we are today one of the largest players in our space with 1.2 crore Indians using our apps every day. On Shark Tank India Season 3, I want to tell the youth of India that where you come from and whether you have a degree or not does not matter; what matters is whether you have hunger, discipline and focus. And if you have it in you, I am here to support you in fulfilling your entrepreneurial dream,'' Iqbal wrote.

Indian Angels

Following the massive success of Shark Tank India, Digikore Studios has announced the launch of "Indian Angels," claiming it to be the world's first angel investment show which will be streamed on an OTT platform, Jio Cinema. Through this show, angel investors will not only support emerging startups but will also extend a rare invitation to viewers to become investors themselves.

The show boasts a panel of angel investors, each of whom has risen from humble beginnings to achieve remarkable success. The lineup includes Ankit Agrawal, Founder and CEO of InsuranceDekho; Shreedha Singh, CEO and Co-founder of T.A.C – The Ayurveda Co; Kunal Kishore, Founder and director of Value 360; Ajinkya Firodia, Managing Director of Kinetic Engineering Ltd.; Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder of EaseMyTrip and director and Aparna Thygarajan, Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer of Shobitam.

"At Digikore Studios, we are exceptionally proud to be part of this pioneering venture. 'Indian Angels' embodies the essence of innovation and the boundless possibilities of OTT platforms. It transcends mere entertainment; it signifies a movement that promises to reshape our understanding of investment. So get ready for a transformative journey that will have a profound impact on India's investment landscape and the trajectory of Indian businesses," said Abhishek More, Founder and CEO of Digikore in a statement.

The inaugural episode of "Indian Angels" is slated for release in late October, followed by the unveiling of two episodes every week on the JioCinema platform. The idea behind the show is to make startup investing more accessible than ever for everyday people.

Startup Thamizha

To promote entrepreneurship among the youth of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission (StartupTN) is set to launch 'Startup Thamizha,' a Tamil Startup reality show.

According to a TOI report, taking inspiration from globally renowned shows like Shark Tank, which have significantly contributed to raising awareness about the startup ecosystem at both the national and international levels, Startup Tamizha aims to replicate this success within the state.

This reality television show, 'Startup Thamizha,' is designed to connect carefully selected startups connect carefully selected startups with active investors while simultaneously promoting awareness about startups throughout Tamil Nadu, the report said.

Meet the Drapers

It is an international pitch competition reality television series for entrepreneurs, that aired its Season 5 last year, across several domestic and international television networks. Hosted by the Draper Family, judges for the show included Tim Draper, Polly Draper and Bill Draper along with a different special guest judge each week, which included Kai Huang (co-founder of Guitar Hero0, Sabeer Bhatia (founder of Hotmail), Joe Montana (former American football quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs) and Randi Zuckerberg (investor and entrepreneur).

"Meet the Drapers gives viewers around the world a unique opportunity to be entertained while learning about entrepreneurship and venture capital. The show is a lot of fun, and our viewers have seen many brilliant ideas come to life. Season 5 showcases some of the brightest young entrepreneurs we have ever seen from around the globe and I hope that Meet the Drapers will continue to inspire and teach people to build and grow their own companies," said Tim Draper, founding partner of Draper Associates.

The last season highlighted four startups each week from different regions across the world, giving viewers the opportunity to root for entrepreneurs from their hometowns.