Building biz: Flipkart partners with Shark Tank

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: Driven by a mission to proactively scale India’s ecosystem for entrepreneurship, Flipkart announced its partnership with Sony Entertainment’s upcoming show - Shark Tank India, today. Shark Tank, a globally renowned business reality format, has reinvigorated businesses in over 40 countries (since its first launch in 2001) and now, the very first India edition promises to accelerate the Indian start-up ecosystem as well. Shark Tank India will provide a platform for business ideas, business prototypes, or active businesses to be evaluated by experienced investors and business experts (aka the Sharks) for investment. Produced by StudioNEXT, Shark Tank India will premiere on December 20, and air every Mon-Fri at 9:00 pm on Sony Entertainment Television.

As part of this partnership, several Flipkart sellers will also get to pitch their business ideas to the Sharks, giving them an opportunity to seek potential investments. Participants (entrepreneurs) of Shark Tank India can also have their products featured on Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, helping them gain access to millions of consumers across India.

Rajneesh Kumar, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer, Flipkart Group, said, “Our partnership with Sony Entertainment’s Shark Tank India is another step towards our vision to encourage, build and nurture entrepreneurship in India. It gives us the opportunity to play a role in expediting ecosystem growth by giving these inherently talented entrepreneurs from different parts of the country a platform to grow their business. We believe that this partnership will be a catalyst to reviving the spirit of entrepreneurship, in our continued efforts to support ‘Start-up India’.

”The past year has changed the lives of millions of people across India, impacting all sectors of the economy and transforming the way businesses operate. Flipkart has consistently emphasized empowering the local MSME community in the country, by making them more digital and transforming their business journey. In the past year, this mission has assumed deeper significance to the ecosystem, with e-commerce playing a critical role in sustaining livelihoods and enabling operational revival for MSMEs across India.