In a bold marketing move, Swiggy, one of India’s leading food and grocery delivery platforms, is set to sponsor the upcoming season of Shark Tank India. As part of the sponsorship deal, Swiggy has reportedly secured an agreement to exclude Zomato founder and CEO Deepinder Goyal from returning as a shark, underscoring the fierce competition between the two companies.
The Zomato competitor, which is preparing for its Initial Public Offering (IPO), is reportedly investing ₹25 crores in sponsoring Shark Tank Season 4. The sponsorship deal, which includes blocking Goyal from the show, highlights the deepening rivalry between Swiggy and Zomato, two heavyweights in India’s competitive food and grocery delivery market.
Swiggy’s Strategic Move Ahead of IPO
This strategic move comes as Swiggy gears up for its IPO, expected to launch in the coming weeks. According to Swiggy’s Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP), the company plans to allocate ₹950 crore of its total ₹3,750 crore raise towards brand marketing and expanding its customer base. The decision to sponsor Shark Tank India is part of this aggressive marketing push, positioning Swiggy to strengthen its brand presence across the country.
The food delivery giant’s decision to block Goyal, a prominent figure in India’s startup ecosystem, reflects the intensifying competition between the two companies. While Swiggy and Zomato were once neck-and-neck, Zomato has taken a clear lead in both the food and grocery delivery spaces in recent years, further heightened by Zomato’s successful IPO in 2021 and its market capitalization now nearing $30 billion.
Deepinder Goyal’s Popularity on Shark Tank
Deepinder Goyal, who made his debut as a shark in Shark Tank India Season 3, became an instant favorite among viewers for his candid and insightful interactions with budding entrepreneurs. His sharp questions and no-nonsense observations quickly earned him praise on social media, where clips of his appearances went viral, enhancing his reputation as a savvy business leader.
By excluding Goyal, Swiggy may have been aiming to prevent a direct competitor from gaining further visibility and popularity. It is common in sponsorship deals to include a ‘competition block’, which restricts competing brands or individuals from participating in promotional activities, and this appears to be Swiggy’s strategy with Goyal’s exclusion.
Shark Tank India Season 4: Returning Sharks and What to Expect
The upcoming season of Shark Tank India will see the return of several popular sharks, including:
- Anupam Mittal, Founder of People Group.
- Aman Gupta, Co-Founder of boAt Lifestyle.
- Namita Thapar, Executive Director at Emcure Pharmaceuticals.
- Peyush Bansal, Founder of Lenskart.
- Ritesh Agarwal, CEO of OYO.
With these prominent investors back in the mix, Season 4 promises to deliver engaging business pitches and intense negotiations, albeit without Deepinder Goyal in the shark lineup.
Swiggy’s Growing Marketing Budget and Public Listing
The Bengaluru food giant’s aggressive sponsorship of Shark Tank India and its IPO preparations indicate the company’s intent to take a larger slice of the market. As competition with Zomato heats up, Swiggy is ramping up its marketing efforts to engage more customers and expand its footprint in both urban and rural markets.
With the Shark Tank India sponsorship, the food delivery giant aims to solidify its brand in the minds of Indian consumers, even as it prepares to go public in what is likely to be one of the most anticipated IPOs of the year.
Stay tuned as the Shark Tank India Season 4 unfolds with plenty of innovation, entrepreneurial dreams, and, of course, Swiggy’s powerful presence as a sponsor.
