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Sony Entertainment’s 9 pm slot is no longer ruled by daily soaps and ‘Saas Bahu’ drama. Rather, subjects like gross margin and equity, which were never a part of the living room parley, have now become a regular course of discussion.  This drastic change is because of the Shark Tank India show. Since its premiere on December 20, 2021, it has been a huge hit. The seven sharks of the show, who are successful entrepreneurs, have already become popular among youngsters.  The show is organised with the motive of helping new business start-ups and entrepreneurs and this simple yet catchy and unique concept has become hugely popular. There has been hardly any other show in the history of television that allowed new entrepreneurs to pitch their business ideas in an open platform and in front of successful entrepreneurs. A number of budding entrepreneurs have already pitched their ideas in such a unique manner that they have received investment from the sharks.

Reasons behind the show’s popularity

There are a number of reasons behind the whooping popularity of this show. It is not only entertaining but has also given an individual identity to the sharks apart from their business tycoon identity. Before this show was aired, viewers and the audience recognised the sharks by their brand names. This show has helped them to become mini celebs and have also introduced their lifestyle and life stories to the viewers.  Moreover, the show has helped to create a turn in viewership – the focus on business ideas and a journey towards successful entrepreneurship is a welcome change. The show is a platform for providing ideas and insights, business technicalities and about exploring the nuances of the start-up ecosystem. The judges of the show have represented themselves and their life stories in such an attractive manner that young students are getting motivated to take up entrepreneurship as their career.

The unique concept

The show provides business knowledge that is practical in nature and of course different from the theoretical knowledge given in colleges and institutions. This show is especially helpful for those who wish to pursue their own entrepreneurial journey – providing them with inside information and tricks of the trade apart from exposing them to a gamut of business ideas. Important topics like equity, sales, B2B sales, B2C sales are explained in a simple manner. The show also performs an important role of breaking down the stereotype and blind belief that only students from premier institutes like IITs and IIMs are capable of taking up entrepreneurship and business. Viewers these days are fond of authentication and this show portrays more reality than any other reality show on television.

Another important aspect of this show is the time of its origin. Since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, the Indian economy has been adversely affected. A number of people had suffered from joblessness and in such a period of dilemma, a show like this - that is showing the courage of Indians pitching their small and interesting business ideas - is of great motivation. The show contains a great message that business is not only about expecting profit but it should also have a humanitarian approach. A business should always contain a motive of helping the society and solving their problem so as to become unique in nature.