Pratham Mittal has joined Shark Tank India Season 5 as its newest judge, bringing a strong education-first entrepreneurship lens to the popular business reality show. The founder of Masters’ Union and Tetr College of Business, Mittal is set to appear in the show’s Campus Special episodes, which focus on nurturing student-led startups and encouraging young founders to build ventures while still in college.
Known for questioning traditional management education models, Mittal has built institutions that emphasise practitioner-led learning, real-world exposure, and hands-on startup building. His approach centres on students working directly with industry leaders, launching ventures, and scaling ideas alongside formal academic learning.
From global classrooms to startup campuses
Mittal’s academic journey spans some of the world’s most prestigious institutions. He completed his schooling at The Doon School in Dehradun before studying Systems Engineering and Political Science at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He later pursued International Relations and Affairs at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Growing up, education played a central role in his life, with his father Dr Ashok Mittal serving as the Chancellor of Lovely Professional University in Punjab.
Before entering the education space as a founder, Mittal built a successful technology startup. He launched Outgrow, a SaaS platform that specialised in interactive content tools, which went on to be used by global brands including Nike and Tesla. Over the years, he has also invested in and mentored several early-stage startups across technology, consumer products, and services. While his personal net worth has not been publicly disclosed, his influence across India’s startup and education ecosystems has steadily grown.
A diverse shark panel in Season 5
Shark Tank India Season 5 features one of its most expansive panels so far, combining familiar faces with a wide range of new investors. Returning sharks include Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Namita Thapar, Peyush Bansal, Vineeta Singh, Amit Jain, Ritesh Agarwal, Kunal Bahl and Viraj Bahl. Alongside Pratham Mittal, new additions this season include Varun Alagh, Mohit Yadav, Shaily Mehrotra, Hardik Kothiya and Kanika Tekriwal, adding expertise across consumer brands, skincare, renewable energy, technology and aviation.
The new season will begin airing on Sony Entertainment Television and streaming on SonyLIV from January 5, 2026. Since its launch in 2021, Shark Tank India has played a key role in bringing entrepreneurship into mainstream conversation, offering startups visibility, funding opportunities and direct mentorship, while inspiring young founders across the country to pursue innovation.