Shark Tank Indian 3: All you need to know about 29-yr-old Ritesh Agarwal; the youngest Shark to join the panel

The popular business reality TV series, Shark Tank India, is gearing up for its third season, and it's introducing a fresh face to the panel. Ritesh Agarwal, the founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, has joined Shark Tank India Season 3, making him the youngest member on the panel. Here’s all you need to know about the 29-yr-old Shark – Ritesh Agarwal.

The panel of Sharks have begun shooting for the show and introduced youngest entrepreneur Ritesh Agarwal. The makers wrote: "The Sharks are fully revved up to shoot for the second schedule. Introducing @riteshagar, Founder and CEO of OYO Rooms, as the new Shark!"

Ritesh took to social media to share his experience on joining the reality show panel. He wrote, “@sharktankindia made entrepreneurship a household conversation and I am excited to be a small part of Season 3 and support more entrepreneurs emerging out of every corner of India.”

He further wrote, “When I began my entrepreneurial journey, resources were hard to come by. However, the generosity and kindness of the ecosystem (mentors, VCs, other founders) that took me in made the journey a bit easier and more fulfilling. To be able to replicate this has been a long-standing goal of mine. Whenever the opportunity presented itself, it made me extremely happy to connect with, mentor and back entrepreneurs at every stage of their own personal journeys.”

Ritesh also added, “I have extended my support to numerous startups, provided guidance to entrepreneurs within the Naropa Fellowship cohort, assisted small businesses across India, and whenever possible, I have wholeheartedly contributed to the community that stood beside me during my formative years.”

Ritesh recently shared a post, where he can be seen having dosa at a Bengaluru joint and called the city to be the hub of all the startups. Calling the city the OG Shark Tank, he wrote, “Bengaluru and its many cafes, breweries even the legendary dosa points are the OG Shark Tanks. I consider myself part Bengalurian. Here's me at CTR Malleshwaram, a plate of Benne Dose goes great with startup convos.”

Ritesh Agarwal hails from a Marwari family in Bissam Cuttack, Odisha, India, and was raised in Titilagarh. His family managed a small shop in Rayagada, Odisha. Post schooling, he relocated to Delhi in 2011 to pursue his college education. However, he founded the hotel chain and dropped out of college. He got married this year to Geetansha Sood, a native of Lucknow, on 7 March.

Ritesh was featured in the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Asia. In a span of 10 years, OYO became one of the top hotel chains in the world with an approximate valuation of more than Rs 330 crore, according to a 2022 report by The Times of India. He founded his at the age of 20 and is touted to be one of Top 10 youngest self-made billionaires of India.