Inspired By ‘Shark Tank’, TN Govt Launches TV Reality Show To Promote Entrepreneurship (Image:X/StartUpTN)
Inspired by the American business reality television series ‘Shark Tank’, the government of Tamil Nadu recently launched a television show named ‘Startup Thamizha’. The show was brought by the state government’s nodal agency for startup and innovation, StartupTN, and generated a funding commitment of Rs 200 crore from entrepreneurs and angel investors, said the agency on X (formerly Twitter). The program will execute a platform for sprouting entrepreneurs at the grassroots level, and is first of its kind in the country.
According to the Tamil Nadu Startup Mission Director and CEO Sivarajah Ramanathan, ‘Startup Thamizha’ will encourage startups, which are in the grassroots level to create a conducive ecosystem. The series will also encourage women entrepreneurship, bring together founders and investors, and facilitate mentors. “Startup Thamizha exemplifies the collective commitment of the Tamil Nadu Government through StartupTN in fostering a thriving startup ecosystem and in boosting economic growth”, NDTV quoted Mr Ramanathan.
The show would get into production by February 2024 and will be telecasted on a popular Tamil Television channel which will be announced soon. It would be produced and managed by Brand Avatar, Blue Koi, and Refex Capital. So far, at least fifty startups were shortlisted and were given mentorship and training. The show will have three seasons in total.
#StartupThamizha, First Tamil Startup Funding Reality Show on TV, Launched!
The long wait is over! Thiru. T.M. Anbarasan, Hon”ble Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, launched Startup Thamizha an initiative by #StartupTN at the IIT M Research Park, Chennai, on… pic.twitter.com/INpPkhPahN
— StartupTN (@TheStartupTN) November 24, 2023
‘Startup Thamizha’, the upcoming reality show under the monitoring of Tamil Nadu government was inspired by Shark Tank. Shark Tank is an American business reality television series that was premiered by the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) in 2009. It was the American franchise of the international format Dragons” Den, a Japanese TV series. Shark Tank got an exciting receival from the audience and it presented entrepreneurs making business presentations to a panel of five investors. These investors were known as the “sharks” of the program, and they will decide whether to invest in the contestants’ companies. ‘Startup Thamizha’ will also follow a similar pattern of presentation.
Startup Thamizha has already generated a funding commitment of Rs. 200 crore, over the course of the first three seasons, from reputed entrepreneurs and angel investors. As breaking the initial investment, it is said that the Refex Group has committed ₹ 100 crore while Dr Velumani of Thyrocare and Pontaq has earmarked ₹ 50 crore and ₹ 25 crore, respectively from each brand. Angel investing company Native Lead Angels has committed ₹ 10 crore investment while the remaining amount would be contributed by other investors.
