Last season, Namita was noticed to be a little skeptical about investing in pitches, as compared to other sharks. However, the businesswoman denied the same stating that she was a little ‘selective’. She also mentioned that her solo investment in Rare Planet, an eco-friendly handicraft organisation, was the biggest success story of last year. She shared, “I invested in 23 companies and I was the third highest investor out of the seven sharks last season, so I would say I was selective and not skeptical. My solo investment in Rare Planet is the biggest success story of season 1 – the company expanded from four stores to 32 stores and revenue grew from Rs. 70 lakhs per month to Rs 4 crores per month. This business proved that social impact and profitability can co-exist.” Thapar added that her mantra for this season will be to continue supporting causes and ideas that she believes in, and founders that she has conviction in.

We asked Namita whether she made a mistake last season that she wouldn’t want to repeat this year. With a broad smile, she replied that she got very little time to prepare last year, but this time, she’s more prepared and hopes that it reflects in her deal-making and overall presence. “But between my fellow sharks, portfolio companies, and my mentors, I have learned a lot about the start-up ecosystem,” the entrepreneur added.

Sharing the three factors that make her invest in prospective businesses, the executive director said, “I follow a 4F investment framework – founder, foundation, financials, and fit and have elaborated on these concepts in my book “The Dolphin and The Shark”. Briefly, the founders need to be driven, should be solving a big and complex problem, should know their financials well, and the business should be a good fit with my experience and interest so I can help.”

Talking about how her life changed after Shark Tank India, the businesswoman said that she learned a lot about the ‘start-up ecosystem’. She added that she plans to use her voice responsibly for important issues and busting taboos. Other than that, Thapar believes that since she leads a very simple life – work and family – hence nothing much has changed for her. As for fan moments, Namita said that she has been enjoying the love and respect showered on all the sharks.

In a candid moment, Namita Thapar shared the weirdest pitch she received, especially after the show. “Well, I have had cases where some passionate founders just turned up either at my office or home and kept waiting for me to listen to the pitch. Thankfully, my team learned from these experiences and now, we have known avenues through which founders can reach me and everything is addressed in a structured manner,” she replied.

Namita Thapar has been quite vocal about women entrepreneurs on Shark Tank India. She shared that 48 per cent of pitchers on the show were women and the trend remained the same this season too. As for working in a man’s world, the businesswoman said, “There are stereotypes women face, but the best way to prove yourself is through your outcomes, results, and delivering numbers. I also feel women need to get better at speaking up, and managing their guilt, and they need to stop their self-limiting behaviors which often stop them from dreaming big.”

On a final note, we discussed with Namita Thapar how she tweeted that Ashneer Grover’s absence will not affect the show. However, fans have been upset about him not being around, which hints that the Shark Tank India 2 viewership could get affected. Dismissing the same, she said, “Not at all. I sincerely believe one person doesn’t make or break a show, not me, not anybody. The show is about celebrating our entrepreneurs and job creators, and about teaching business concepts through the beautiful stories of these nation builders to the masses. We should just focus on that and the hard work put in by the team.”

Starting January 2, Shark Tank India 2 will air Monday-Friday at 9 pm on Sony TV.