Who is Kanika Tekriwal? 'Shark Tank India' judge who invested Rs 5,600, now holds a Rs 420 crore net worth

Being a woman in a male-dominated industry is still an uphill battle. The glass ceiling may have cracks, but it hasn’t vanished. In this uneven race, one woman chose not to fight the system head-on. She quietly built something powerful within it. This is the story of Kanika Tekriwal, the founder of India’s first transparent marketplace for private aviation, and the latest addition to 'Shark Tank India.' Today, Kanika holds an estimated net worth of over Rs 420 crore and features among the youngest richest women on the Hurun Rich List. Her company, JetSetGo, has flown more than 100,000 passengers and operated over 6,000 flights. It manages one of India’s largest private aviation fleets, including nine private jets and two helicopters. But the journey began with childhood wonder.At 21, Kanika founded her company with a simple yet disruptive idea. She wanted to build an Uber-like model for private aviation. The plan was to buy jets and rent them out, making private flying more accessible, transparent, and organised in India.In an interview with us, Kanika opened up about the early struggles of building her company. “The time when I started my business, nobody understood it. I had a lethal combination—I was a girl, 21, in an industry dominated by men.”During airport visits, people often misunderstood her role. “People would ask me, ‘Ma’am, are you in the cabin crew?’” she recalled with a smile. “I loved the colour red. I often wore red and carried red bags.” Raising capital proved even harder. Investors shut doors quickly. “When I went to raise money, they asked me, ‘What is the market size?’ Everybody shut the door on my face. Only one person believed in me,” she said.Looking back, she believes it worked in her favour. “A lot of people ask me how I did this without raising money,” Kanika shared, adding, “Till date, I have invested only Rs 5,600, and we operate India’s largest fleet of private jets.” That ₹5,600 investment at 21 has now grown into a ₹420 crore empire built on discipline and persistence.Her avaiation firm today does much more than charter flights. The company manages aircraft, advises on ownership, offers exclusive memberships, and is preparing for the future of aviation, including electric and vertical take-off aircraft.Kanika’s journey reached a wider audience when she appeared as a judge on ‘Shark Tank India season 5.’ Her presence on the panel reflects a decade-long journey built without external funding and without shortcuts. ‘Shark Tank India season 5’ premieres on January 5. Alongside Kanika Tekriwal, the new season also features Varun Alagh (Honasa Consumer Ltd), Mohit Yadav (Minimalist), Shaily Mehrotra (Fixderma), and Hardik Kothiya (Rayzon Solar), and Pratham Mittal (founder of Master’s Union and Tetr College of Business) as new investors.