From failing in 5th grade, cracking JEE to his stammering issue; Interesting facts about Shark Tank India's Deepinder Goyal

The former Shark Deepinder Goyal has been in the buzz for his brand. Looking at the entrepreneur's life before building the food delivery app, here are some interesting facts from his personal and professional life.

Deepinder is from Muktsar, Punjab. He shared, "It is a pretty small town, and I attended a school with about 30 students. I was not buddies with anyone at school. Parents used to tell their kids not to be friends with me. My life changed in eighth grade when one of my instructors handed me all of the answers to my exam. Suddenly, I placed third, and everyone wanted to be friends with me because my grades improved."

Deepinder suffered academically throughout his schooling, especially in fifth grade. His father intervened, requesting grace marks to help his son transition through the educational system. Deepinder used unique tactics in eighth grade to achieve a third division, earning the respect and admiration of his family. However, at college, he was unsure about competitive exams. Deepinder passed the JEE exam, crediting his accomplishment to a relaxed attitude and good study strategies.

Deepinder opened up about his stammering, he said, "The stammering issue is still there. I still stammer, I get conscious and it still makes me nervous. I had to mentally prepare myself to do this as it takes a lot of effort from me. I cannot just straight up have a casual conversation. Calories lagti hain mujhe yeh sab karne mein because I stammer. This has been there since childhood, now I am at a point where 'bro you don't have a choice, so show up and do what you need to do'."

Deepinder reveals he avoids public appearances, "The only reason why I haven't been having a lot of public appearances or going to events is because of my stammering. I can't do much about it. A lot of it has to do with how calm I am. If I am speaking slowly, I'll be fine, I didn't know that. There are a couple of syllables which I get stuck at, I consciously try to avoid those while I am talking. There are years of practice doing that as well toh bach jaata hoon."

Deepinder graduated in Computer Science from IIT Delhi in 2004 marking a turning point in his academic career, showcasing his perseverance and commitment to a balanced life.

Deepinder started his career as a Senior Associate Consultant at Bain & Company after college. In response to long food order lines at Bain, he founded FoodieBay.com. Deepinder and his colleague Pankaj developed an intranet-based food ordering system for Bain's staff. The website unexpectedly obtains prominence and high traffic. Recognising its potential, the founders decided to rebrand it as Zomato.com, forecasting a revolution in the food technology industry.

Deepinder Goyal owns a Ferrari Roma, which is commonly seen on the roads of Gurugram, Haryana, where the brand's headquarters is located. Deepinder owns a scarlet Ferrari. He also owns a yellow Lamborghini Urus, a Porsche Turbo, and a Porsche Carrera S. He recently bought an Aston Martin DB-12 for Rs 5 crore.