Amit Jain Shark Tank: Early Life, Education, and Companies

November 12, 2024
amit jain net worth
Quick Summary

Quick Summary

  • Amit Jain, Shark Tank, is an Indian entrepreneur who co-founded Cardekho. It is India’s leading car search venture, helping users purchase the right car for them.
  • Amit is also a judge on the popular show Shark Tank India, where he aims to nurture young talent and innovators.
  • He is an alumnus of IIT Delhi and began his entrepreneurship journey as the CEO and co-founder of GirnarSoft, the IT externalising company that eventually launched Cardekho.

Table of Contents

Amit Jain is an Indian entrepreneur and investor. People recognize him for his role as a judge in the Indian reality show Shark Tank. He is also the co-founder and CEO of CarDekho. It is one of India’s leading online automobile portals. Jain graduated from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi (IIT Delhi) with a degree in computer science. Amit Jain worked as a Software Engineer at TCS for a year and then spent almost seven years at Trilogy, a US-based multinational firm, before starting his entrepreneurial journey. Now, he evaluates and mentors budding entrepreneurs in Shark Tank India.

Overall, he is an experienced investor who is very supportive of entrepreneurs. Amit is dedicated to teaching new businesses through financial investment. He also uses trading knowledge gained from his personal entrepreneurial experience. Learn about Amit Jain net worth, education, experience, and more below.

Who is Amit Jain? Entrepreneur to Shark Tank Investor

Amit Jain, an alumnus of IIT Delhi, is the Co-Founder of CarDekho Group. It is a prominent Autotech company in India that achieved unicorn status in 2021. The company’s current valuation stands at $1.2 billion. Prior to starting his entrepreneurial journey, Amit Jain, Cardekho’s current CEO, worked as a Software Engineer for a year at TCS. Later, he spent almost seven years at a US-based multinational firm, Trilogy. Amit co-founded GirnarSoft, a technology venture, along with his brother Anurag Jain in 2007.

Amit’s love for cars led him to attend the Auto Expo in 2008 along with his brother. However, he was disappointed by the limited product information available on various vehicles at the event. This experience inspired him to establish the Autotech company CarDekho. As of now, the same company has evolved into a conglomerate of thriving businesses in various verticals.

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Amit Jain Shark Tank Education and Early Life

Amit Jain was born on November 12, 1976, in Jaipur, Rajasthan. He belongs to a Jain family and shared his childhood with a younger brother, Anurag, who is also the co-founder and COO of CarDekho. Their father was the sole breadwinner of the family at that time.

Amit Jain’s grandfather was the Late Dr. Dharam Singh Jain, a renowned astrologer. His father, the Late Mr Prashant Jain, was an ex-RBI officer and gemstone businessman. His mother’s name is Nilima Jain.

Jain spent most of his early life in his hometown, Jaipur. He completed his higher secondary education at St. Xavier’s Senior Secondary School. After completing his secondary education, Amit pursued sciences and later passed the Engineering Entrance Exam. Subsequently, he had the opportunity to pursue his education at IIT Delhi between 1995 and 1999, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Delhi College of Engineering. Later, in 2006, he completed an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

Currently, Amit is married to Pihu Jain, who works as the head of Girnar Software Pvt Ltd. The couple has two sons, Ayaan Jain and Aahil Jain, both of whom are 8-year-old twins.

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Amit Jain Companies and Business Ventures

In the year 1999–2000, Amit Jain worked as a Software Engineer at Tata Consultancy Services (TCS). Later, he held positions as a Senior Associate, Delivery Manager, and Product Manager at Trilogy, a US-based firm. Jain worked at the same company for about 6 years and 11 months. Later, Amit co-founded GirnarSoft, an IT firm, in 2007, along with his brother Anurag Jain. Both brothers had the dream of starting a business in their hometown. Amit and Anurag co-founded CarDekho.com, the flagship portal of GirnarSoft, in 2008.

Currently, the CarDekho Group consists of several business ventures under its umbrella, including:

  • CarDekho: The flagship company, CarDekho, is a one-stop online platform for all things car-related in India. It offers users a platform to research various car models, compare prices, and connect with dealerships.
  • BikeDekho: Similar to CarDekho, but focused on two-wheeler vehicles.
  • ZigWheels: An online automobile marketplace acquired by CarDekho in 2015.
  • PowerDrift: A portal for all kinds of automobile news and reviews, also acquired by CarDekho.
  • InsuranceDekho: India’s largest Business-to-business-to-consumer (B2B2C) Insurtech company. It enables users to compare and buy insurance policies for various needs.
  • Rupyy: India’s largest used car lending fintech platform, which helps facilitate financing options for car purchases.
  • CollegeDekho: An edutech platform that helps students find colleges and universities in India.

Amit Jain is also an active investor and has appeared as a judge on the Indian reality show Shark Tank India. In this show, entrepreneurs pitch their business ideas to potential investors.

Amit Jain on Shark Tank India: Investment Strategies

Amit Jain, a Shark Tank investor, chooses his strategies in a very special manner. Take a look at his investment strategies that help him identify promising ventures:

  • The personality and experience of the founder of the story take up the space for Freud.
  • For the Cardekho founder, the mantra of “Pehle Banda, Phir Dhandha” (First the person, then the business) as well as the focus on customer satisfaction, have been key to CarDekho’s popularity and success.
  • Jain acknowledged that only founders equipped with resilience could build high-performing startups, as they remain persistently devoted to the success of their mission.
  • He examines whether the product or service in the question exactly meets the customer’s demands. This is an assessment of whether there is a white space in the market.
  • He analyses the viability of the business model and its potential for long-term sustainability in terms of profitability.
  • Amit Jain’s wiki sense says that teamwork skills, passion, and the founders’ adaptability are major factors to consider when determining a startup’s prospects for success.
  • He concentrates on the type of founders who are able to involve users from the beginning and work with responses from customers.
  • Jain also facilitates by linking young entrepreneurs to essential capital and physical and behavioral networks.
  • The entrepreneur guides the founders to refine their plans by establishing initiatives like the Girnar Elevate Summit.

What is the Net Worth of Amit Jain?

According to reports, Amit Jain net worth will be approximately $365 million in 2024. He was named one of India’s “40 Under Forty” young business leaders by The Economic Times in 2019. Here are the details:

  • Amit’s company, Cardekho, raised $15 million in A-series funding from Sequoia Capital, a US-based organization, in 2013.
  • His company once again raised $250 million in an equity and debt funding round, valuing it at $1.2 billion in 2021. This also led the company to become a growing unicorn startup in India.
  • The current annual revenue run rate of the Autotech company is $100 million.
  • At the peak of the business venture, Cardekho invested around $20-25 million and sold around 800 cars.

Amit Jain Shark Tank: Visionary Leader & Role Model

Amit Jain is currently the driving force behind the IPO-bound unicorn. The Indian entrepreneur wears many hats and embarks on a startup journey from a Tier II city, a feat accomplished by only a few businessmen. Jain’s roles as a Shark Tank India judge, a mentor to early-stage founders, and an angel investor on the platform have earned him widespread recognition across the startup ecosystem.

Jain’s backstory mirrors the same grit as his business, prompting enthusiastic entrepreneurs to inquire, “Who is Amit Jain?” An alumnus of IIT-Delhi and a local Jaipur boy, he worked as a software engineer in the US until 2007. However, he and his brother Anurag had to leave their jobs and return home due to a medical emergency in the family. For the unversed, one of them had to return because their father suddenly fell ill.

Amit was not one to give up on his enthusiasm for startups and entrepreneurship. That’s why the brothers launched an IT outsourcing firm called GirnarSoft. Now, it serves as the parent company of CarDekho. Amit Jain is now the group CEO, and his brother Anurag is the COO of Girnarsoft.

Amit Jain: Guiding the Next Generation of Entrepreneurs!

Amit Jain, CarDekho’s co-founder, is also a current participant in Shark Tank India Season 3. He believes that apart from providing financial investment, it is equally important to mentor budding entrepreneurs. He guides young and emerging entrepreneurs by sharing his valuable experience and providing them access to invaluable resources. As a Shark, as he is referred to on the reality show, he aims to connect with entrepreneurs and advise them on important matters. This includes building their teams, governance, adapting business strategies, crystallizing their vision, and prioritizing profitability.

Amit’s passion for cars and his vision for GirnarSoft have been instrumental in his eventual success as the founder of CarDekho and as a business leader. His ability to think outside the box and implement unique ideas has helped him stay ahead of the competition, keeping CarDekho at the forefront of the industry.

Ultimately, Amit’s leadership and innovative strategies will continue to drive the growth of CarDekho in the future.

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Frequently Asked Questions:

How did Amit Jain start his career?

Amit Jain began his career in 1999 by teaching tuition classes to support himself in Delhi. He graduated from IIT Delhi in the same year and subsequently worked as a software engineer at TCS for a year. Later, he joined the US-based company Trilogy as a senior associate and remained there for 6 years and 11 months. Amit Jain returned to India when his father fell ill and founded his own company, Girnarsoft, in 2006. This same company later led to the launch of CarDekho in 2008.

What educational background does Amit Jain have?

Amit Jain completed his primary education at Xavier’s Senior Secondary School in Jaipur. He then enrolled at IIT Delhi from 1995–1999, where he received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Subsequently, in 2006, he completed an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Ahmedabad.

How has Amit Jain contributed to the success of CarDekho?

Amit and his brother were experts in cars. That is why they went to an Auto Expo in 2008. Here, they realised that the Expo was not available online. Their immense passion for cars drove them to start this particular business, Cardekho, in 2008. Eventually, the co-founders raised $15 million in series A funding for the company, making it a startup unicorn in India.

What are some notable investments Amit Jain made on Shark Tank India?

Amit Jain has made significant investments in several companies as one of the judges in the business reality show, Shark Tank India. A few notable ones include:
The Honest Home: ₹1 crore in exchange for 3% equity and 1% royalty
Tiggle: ₹50 lakhs in exchange for 20% equity and 2% royalty
Chefling: ₹40 lakhs in exchange for 16% equity

What is Amit Jain’s vision for the future of the Indian startup ecosystem?

Jain focuses on the startup founder’s ability, the spark in their personality, and the assessment of business and profit. This should be the focus when a startup founder presents a pitch to receive finance. Jain’s vision for the future feels that the founder creates the company; hence, he lays a lot of attention on the founder’s morals.

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