'Now that I have become famous..': Shark Tank India judge Anupam Mittal on life after the show

Anupam Mittal, the founder of Shaadi.com and one of the most recognisable faces on Shark Tank India, has emerged as a household name over the past few years. As a judge on the popular entrepreneurial reality show, Mittal has played a key role in mentoring young founders and backing innovative ideas. Known for his sharp insights, wit and candid advice, he represents the new age Indian entrepreneur who blends business acumen with mass appeal. Shark Tank India has not only transformed the startup ecosystem in the country but has also turned its judges into cultural icons.

In a recent interaction with the Free Press Journal, Anupam Mittal opened up about how the show has dramatically altered his personal and professional life. Reflecting on his newfound fame, Anupam said, ''Life has completely changed. Five years ago, I was only famous inside my own head; now I’m famous all over the world. People start recognising you, and wherever we go, we are celebrated, because of which our life and our family’s life all undergo a big change. The other big change is that there is far more responsibility as far as our businesses are concerned. There’s one thing which is very common in India—if you’re the head of a company like TataSky or Maruti and are attending some party, someone might just come up and complain to you that his Maruti car is not functioning properly. And now that we’ve become famous, you won’t believe some of the things we have to hear from people, which is why we have to take responsibility for that and be more sincere towards our work and be more accountable. So I think that's the second part.''

Life has completely changed. Five years ago, I was only famous inside my own head; now I’m famous all over the world. People start recognising you, and wherever we go, we are celebrated, because of which our life and our family’s life all undergo a big change.

- Anupam Mittal

Mittal also spoke about a deeper and more personal impact of being on Shark Tank India. According to him, success often distances founders from their customers over time. He explained, ''And the third part, and I think most important for me, is that once you become a founder, after a few years, the reason you became successful is because you were very close to customers and you had customer empathy. But when you become a little big, you become removed from the customer. The foolishness or naivety which you had when starting out, which is very necessary to build large companies, reduces, and you begin to become a little cynical. Through Shark Tank India, we meet hundreds of founders who still have that innocence and that naivety that we have somewhere lost a little bit of. So that acts as a refresher in my mind to stay young, hungry, and foolish. And that’s what it takes to build global, world-class companies.''

Once you become a founder, after a few years, the reason you became successful is because you were very close to customers and you had customer empathy. But when you become a little big, you become removed from the customer. The foolishness or naivety which you had when starting out, which is very necessary to build large companies, reduces, and you begin to become a little cynical. Through Shark Tank India, we meet hundreds of founders who still have that innocence and that naivety that we have somewhere lost a little bit of. So that acts as a refresher in my mind to stay young, hungry, and foolish. And that’s what it takes to build global, world-class companies.

- Anupam Mittal

For Anupam Mittal, Shark Tank India is not just a television show but a powerful reminder of why he started his entrepreneurial journey in the first place.