Shark Tank India 5: How Bonkers Corner rose from family bankruptcy to Rs 300 crore valuation
In the latest episode of Shark Tank India Season 5, which aired on January 29, 2026, the tank witnessed one of the most inspiring stories in the show’s history in recent years.
Shubham Gupta, the founder of the Gen-Z approved streetwear brand Bonkers Corner, walked into the tank with his head held high and imbued with a quite confidence borne out of struggle. His journey to Shark Tank was a decade in the making; a tale of the opportunities that open up due to sheer hard work and self-belief.
From family bankruptcy to the streets of Mumbai
The story of Bonkers Corner actually begins in 2011, a year that Shubham Gupta remembers as the lowest point for his family. Following the failure of his father’s long-standing textile business, the family faced total bankruptcy.
Shubham, who had barely passed his 12th grade and admittedly lacked interest in traditional studies, found himself in a position where he had to rebuild his life from absolute zero.
Rather than letting the crisis defeat him, Shubham turned the streets into his classroom. He began working part-time jobs and eventually ventured into e-commerce – initially selling basic t-shirts sourced from local Mumbai markets.
This period of adversity provided him with hands-on experience in white-labeling, fabric quality, and understanding exactly what the Indian consumer wanted. He later admitted that “Bonkers Corner was born out of a necessity to rebuild,” using the “moral rot” of bankruptcy as the fuel to create something permanent.
The Shark Tank pitch
By 2025, the hustle had paid off in a big way. Bonkers Corner transitioned from a small e-commerce experiment into a streetwear powerhouse, closing the previous fiscal year with Rs 100 crore in revenue and earning Rs 125–140 crore by the end of 2025. Shubham Gupta predicted an easy Rs 180 crore in revenue collections for 2026 during his pitch.
Shubham presented a massive ask for his beloved company: Rs 1.5 Crore for 0.5% equity, valuing the company at a staggering Rs 300 Crore. While the sharks visibly balked at this, they also understood that Gupta was successful enough on his own; not requiring the shark’s investments as much as he required their guidance in running the IT and logistics of his company.
Anupam Mittal seemed confused that the young entrepreneur had come to pitch his company to the show, as his company seemed pretty well-rounded. He asked, “Why do you want to raise money? Earning Rs 30 crores in one year is no small feat!”
Namita Thapar was suitably impressed with the young entrepreneur’s no BS pitch and immediately matched his offer: Rs 1.5 crore for 0.5% equity. Anupam Mittal jokingly enquired as to why she hadn’t asked for royalties to which she replied: “I’m giving him what he is asking for. I want to make him a deal so good, he can’t refuse.” The other sharks grumbled good-naturedly as she made her statement with a smug smile.
The Minimalist’s Mohit Yadav attempted to counter-offer with Rs 2 crores for 1% equity which would bring down the company’s valuation to Rs 200 crores but Namita was right; the offer was simply too good to refuse. With no other sharks coming in with offers, Shubham Gupta accepted Thapar’s offer with a swiftness and posed for pictures with her and her massive cheque.
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