India-Japan 'Shark Tank' style startup pitch series proposed to deepen bilateral business ties
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday proposed an India-Japan startup pitching series modelled on the popular 'Shark Tank' television format, aiming to connect young entrepreneurs from both countries with investors and potential business partners.
Speaking at a roundtable on startups in Tokyo, Mr. Goyal said such pitching sessions could be organised virtually, leveraging digital connectivity to facilitate greater interaction between Indian and Japanese startups.
"India and Japan can develop a pitching series, something like the Shark Tank initiative, that can help young startups pitch," Mr. Goyal said. He explained that Indian startups could present their ideas to Japanese investors, while Japanese startups could seek partners and business opportunities in India.
"In this world of global connectivity through Zoom calls and the internet, I think we can have more and more pitching sessions where Indian startups pitch for Japanese investments and Japanese startups pitch for partners in India," he said.
The Minister emphasised that the initiative could help deepen commercial ties between the two countries by moving beyond initial pitches towards concrete business collaboration. "Together we build more business connects, and move from pitches to pilots, to investment, and to scale," he stated.
Mr. Goyal also extended a warm invitation to Japanese businesses and startups to work with India, asserting that stronger economic cooperation would create broader opportunities for prosperity. "Warm invitation to all of you to India and to work together because together Japan and India become a force multiplier for good, for prosperity and for a better future," he said.
Highlighting Japan's strengths, the Minister invited the country's "patient" capital and precision engineering to partner with Indian firms. He proposed a "Japan-India deeptech capital corridor" to channel larger pools of patient capital, particularly for early-stage funding, to help catalyse startup ideas and innovations into success stories.
"I suggest the Japan-India deeptech capital corridor, where larger pools of patient capital, not only for mature unicorns but particularly early-stage funding, can help catalyse these startups' ideas and innovations into success stories," Mr. Goyal said.
He noted that India offers a complete bouquet from design to large-scale deployment, with a market not only for testing products but also for selling and deploying them. He also suggested increasing cooperation between universities, incubators, and venture funds in both countries.
The proposal comes at a time when India and Japan have been strengthening economic ties across multiple sectors. Japan has been a significant investor in India, with Japanese companies playing a key role in infrastructure, manufacturing, and technology. The startup ecosystems in both nations have grown rapidly, and initiatives like this could provide a structured platform for cross-border innovation and investment.
Industry experts view the proposed series as a practical step to formalise and scale up interactions that have largely been informal. By using a familiar format like 'Shark Tank', the initiative could lower barriers for young entrepreneurs and make pitching more accessible.
The Minister's remarks also touched on the broader vision of bilateral cooperation, describing the combined potential of India and Japan as a "force multiplier" for regional and global prosperity. With both countries focusing on digital transformation and deep tech, the proposed corridor could accelerate innovation in areas such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.
No specific timeline or framework for the proposed series was announced. However, the roundtable itself served as a platform for Japanese and Indian startups to interact, reflecting the growing interest in cross-border collaboration.
