Shark Tank India: Ashneer Grover says the sharks made no money, worked like ‘bonded labourers’

The first season of Shark Tank India had a great run in India, with fans thoroughly enjoying each episode. The sharks on the show have also been in the news and fans’ conversations long after its wrap. Ashneer Grover, who was one of the more popular sharks of the show, has now opened up about how much they earned on the show. 

Talking at a lecture at Lovely Professional University, Grover said, "None of us went with the intention of making money. Let me tell you the truth, none of us made any money from the show. Some people said that we made Rs 10 lakh per episode, but I'd have been happy with even Rs 5 lakh."

The former managing director of fintech platform BharatPe also said that the concept of the show was that the makers believed the sharks had money and good startups and that they could invest money on the show.

He further added that the makers asked them to invest Rs. 10 crore each and that they were not paid anything and even had to work like bonded labourers. 

Ashneer Grover was a very popular shark on the show, known for his fiery character, often lashing out. The entrepreneur has also been active on social media following the show’s wrap. 

Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Vineeta Singh, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, and Ghazal Alagh were the other sharks on Shark Tank India season 1.

The makers of the show have officially announced a second season for the popular show. Episodes of Shark Tank India are available to stream on Sony LIV.