‘Shark Tank India 5’ judge Ritesh Agarwal says ‘People did not take me seriously at first’; recalls investor’s odd request to his father

‘Shark Tank India’ is coming back for another season, and this time around, the show is bringing in new judges and new segments. Many judges are also making a comeback to the panel, including Ritesh Agarwal. The CEO of one of the most successful hospitality chains and platforms in India will be returning for his third year on the show. During one of his recent interviews, Agarwal revealed how his first-ever fundraising event went and what advice his father got at the time. While in conversation with The Indian Express, the famed CEO went back in time and revealed what it was like for him to become an entrepreneur from a young age. He revealed that he held his first fundraising event at the mere age of 17, and the investors gave his father some advice that took him by surprise.“I was just 18, right out of high school, when I was starting. So, people did not take me seriously at first. They thought a young person was very interested in trying to make a positive difference, but they were not sure if I would be able to do it. Back in the day, when I wrote cold emails, nobody would respond or was not willing to invest,” the businessman recalled his days as a teenager. He further shared that he scored his first official investment in 2015, though the investors had an odd request that took him by surprise at the time. The CEO revealed that the investors were interested in his pitch; however, at the time, he had requested to meet his parents. At the time, they had called him a “bright” individual and had agreed to the investment, but with an odd request. He shared, “The investors said they wanted to meet my parents. They said, if they send you to college, then… they wanted my parents to commit that they won’t send me to college, warna unke paise doob jaaenge (else they would lose their money).”The CEO has constantly shared how he regrets not going to college. In a 2023 post, he had talked about how essential going to college and experiencing that life was. He revealed at the time that “college experience is unmatched – it prepares you for the ‘real-world’. But for me, the Thiel fellowship was that big adventure which led to the eventual genesis of OYO.”