‘Like Shark Tank’: Piyush Goyal pitches India-Japan startup series to boost investments

New Delhi: Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday proposed an India-Japan startup pitching series modelled on the popular ‘Shark Tank’ format to connect young startups from both countries with investors and potential business partners.

Speaking at a roundtable on startups, Goyal suggested that the pitching sessions could be conducted virtually, using digital platforms to enable greater interaction between Indian and Japanese entrepreneurs.

“India and Japan can develop a pitching series, something like the Shark Tank initiative, that can help young startups pitch,” Goyal said.

Under the proposed initiative, Indian startups could pitch their ideas to Japanese investors, while Japanese startups could explore partnerships and business opportunities in India.

Goyal said the initiative could help strengthen commercial ties between the two countries by taking startups beyond initial pitches and towards concrete business collaborations.

“Together we build more business connects, and move from pitches to pilots, to investment, and to scale,” he said.

The minister also invited Japanese companies and startups to collaborate with Indian businesses, saying deeper economic cooperation could create wider opportunities for growth and prosperity.

Goyal pitches deeptech capital corridor

Goyal also proposed greater Japanese investment in India’s startup ecosystem, particularly in deeptech and early-stage ventures.

He called for a Japan-India deeptech capital corridor that would bring together larger pools of “patient” capital for startups, including those at the early stages, rather than focusing only on established unicorns.

“I suggest the Japan-India deeptech capital corridor, where larger pools of patient capital, not only for mature unicorns but particularly early-stage funding, can help catalyse these startups' ideas and innovations into success stories,” he said.

Goyal also highlighted India’s capabilities across the technology and manufacturing value chain, from product design to large-scale deployment. He said the country offers startups a market not only to test products but also to commercialise and deploy them at scale.

The minister further suggested expanding collaboration between universities, incubators and venture capital funds in India and Japan to strengthen links between the two countries’ startup ecosystems.