9 hrs ago
Shark Tank reshapes Indian business-school career ambitions beyond placements
Many students at Indian business schools traditionally wanted a good company job through campus placements.
Now, some students are choosing to start businesses instead.
Masters’ Union says 22% of its 2026 students chose entrepreneurship over placements, compared with 7% in its 2021 group.
The school says its students and alumni have created more than 50 ventures.
These ventures have raised over ₹100 crore from institutional investors.
They have also reported more than ₹70 crore in combined yearly recurring revenue.
Some founders have appeared on Shark Tank India, where entrepreneurs pitch businesses to investors.
Pratham Mittal says younger people may not want to wait many years to move up a corporate career ladder.
This means building a startup is becoming a more accepted first job for some students.
Masters’ Union says 22% of its 2026 cohort chose entrepreneurship over placements, up from 7% in 2021.
The business school says over 50 student and alumni ventures have raised more than ₹100 crore in institutional venture capital.
Those ventures reportedly generate combined annual recurring revenue of over ₹70 crore, with two exits and five Shark Tank India appearances.
Student-founded startups include Eight Network, SeedAI, Sanyark Space, Meta Fashion, PlaySuper, Bullspree and Mandrake Bio.
Pratham Mittal said younger Indians increasingly view entrepreneurship as a first-career option rather than waiting to leave corporate jobs.
- Who
- Students and alumni of Masters’ Union, along with other young Indian entrepreneurs; Pratham Mittal commented on the trend.
- What
- More business-school students are choosing entrepreneurship, startup fundraising and venture-building over traditional campus placements.
- Where
- At Masters’ Union in Gurugram, India, and through ventures appearing on Shark Tank India.
- When
- The trend is reflected in comparisons between the 2021 and 2026 Masters’ Union cohorts; SeedAI’s acquisition was reported in November 2025.
- Why
- Younger people are increasingly considering entrepreneurship a first-career option, while a slow corporate career ladder is viewed by some as risky.
Key facts
- Entrepreneurship choice
- 22% of the Masters’ Union 2026 cohort chose entrepreneurship over placements, compared with 7% of the 2021 cohort.
- Capital raised
- More than 50 student and alumni ventures have raised over ₹100 crore in institutional venture capital.
- Combined revenue
- The ventures reported combined annual recurring revenue of more than ₹70 crore.
- Shark Tank appearances
- Five student founders or ventures appeared on Shark Tank India.
- Eight Network
- The company raised ₹27 crore and reported ₹13 crore in annual recurring revenue; founder Yugal Tamang exited this year.
- SeedAI
- The enterprise AI platform was acquired by Girnar Finserv in November 2025.
- Selected deals
- Hookd secured ₹50 lakh for 20% equity from Varun Alagh, while Project Clay received ₹15 lakh for 10% equity from Namita Thapar.
Quotes
Pratham Mittal
Founder of Masters’ Union and a judge on Shark Tank India
“Gen Z and Alpha aren’t very patient, and climbing the corporate ladder slowly feels like a risk to them.”
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