Shark Tank India’s Aman Gupta recalls how his mother-in-law was in stress as he left job to pursue his business

Business entrepreneur Aman Gupta, who is currently seen in Shark Tank India 2, credits his wife Priya for being the backbone behind his success. Right from pushing him to study MBA to learning marketing skills, Aman called her the ‘unofficial business coach’. From his love story to break-up to marriage, Aman also shared his very filmy love story while speaking in a podcast.

I was very ‘chep’ and she was not too interested in me initially. But I chased her. I was very persuasive that she is good and she is for me. I chased her. She was studying in Pune. She found me to be very clingy. She texted me, ‘We had a good time together. I like you but I do not want to continue this relationship further.’ She was going to Pune, she texted me and switched off the phone. I wasn’t able to understand. I didn’t have a closure about why she said, ‘It’s over!’ My messages weren’t reaching because she switched off the phone. I couldn’t get over it.

My father saw me upset and I told him. He became DDLJ’s Anupam Kher and told me to pursue her. I couldn’t sleep at night and I went from station to station to check which train she was on. I finally found her name on the chart, and boarded the train without a ticket. I saw her, said ‘Hi’ like a hero and left. I could sense she was shocked. So then we spoke at length and now we have been together for 18 years.

During building the brand, even though I would be home from work, my mind would be at work. So understanding a person, who was mentally absent in the family. I was 34 back then and we had our child Ada. I always tell that she was brought up by Priya because I was taking care of the other child (his brand). Handling a person like me is tough and she has a lot of patience.

I was 27 when I got married. At 29, Priya pushed me to do an MBA. So restarting your life is also tough. She also pushed me to learn marketing by myself when she learnt that hiring a marketing agency would cost a lot. So she has been a driving force. She is an unofficial business coach. Even if I am stressed, she will ask about business. I feel she is running the business and I am a puppet.

Shark Tank India has helped in personal branding. People now know who Aman Gupta is. Awareness level is at an all time high. People spend lakhs on TV ads. Pitchers who come to Shark Tank are an instant hit. It is free marketing. I never got a mentor in life. I love to help people and people are celebrating ‘entrepreneurship’ and not looked down upon as a ‘startup’ or just ‘business’.

My mother-in-law would be in stress initially when I got into business leaving my job. She got tense. I could see that stress in her eyes thinking, ‘Meri beti kamaati hai aur ye mera damaad nikamma nikal raha hai’. But now she flaunts me. Whenever she doesn’t get any topic, she starts praising me. I am her favourite beta.

I am just a human being, who has done decently well and sitting here. If I can do it, anyone can. I was never a super intelligent guy like Ashneer, Amit, Namita and others from IIT, IIM. I am a hustler and had a decent education. I am more of a practical guy and studied how much is required.

My wife Priya says, ‘I am shopping from Sarojini Nagar and you are shopping on Shark Tank?’ For me to continue in Shark Tank India, the companies I have invested in, need to give me results. Else my wife will not let me invest in more. The future of Shark Tank India is very bright. Now every kid knows about entrepreneurship. Shark Tank has spread the basics of business at the grass root level.