Shark Tank India Season 3 has been making headlines recently, showcasing a multitude of startups that have escalated their businesses from scratch. However, not all of these ventures have met their anticipated success. Despite achieving billion-rupee turnovers, some founders have been ousted by their company’s stakeholders.
This article highlights entrepreneurs who have significantly contributed to their company’s growth, only to be later removed from their positions.
Byju Raveendran, the visionary behind the edtech giant Byju’s, faced expulsion by the company’s shareholders on February 23. Raveendran, who founded Think and Learn Private Limited in 2011 alongside his wife Divya Gokulnath, launched the innovative learning app Byju’s in 2015, revolutionizing the educational tech space.
Ashneer Grover, co-founder of Bharat Pay and a well-liked figure in Shark Tank India, experienced a similar fate. Despite leading Bharat Pay to remarkable achievements, Grover was eventually forced to leave the company.
Ravindra Byju’s departure on February 23 mirrored the earlier exits of Flipkart’s founders, Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal, who were pushed out by their shareholders despite their pivotal role in establishing the company in October 2007 and leading it to immense growth.
Rahul Yadav, the mind behind Housing.com, also saw his exit from the company he started in 2012, after facing housing challenges in Mumbai as an IIT Mumbai student, which inspired the foundation of Housing.com.
Sachin and Binny Bansal, both IIT Delhi alumni and former Amazon employees, launched Flipkart in 2007, initially focusing on online book sales. The company’s swift expansion led to significant revenue growth. However, Sachin Bansal left Flipkart following a disagreement with the board during Walmart’s acquisition in 2018, selling his entire stake for over a billion dollars. Binny Bansal also resigned in 2018 following an investigation into allegations against him.
This narrative underscores the unpredictable nature of the business world, where even founders who have significantly contributed to their company’s success can find themselves outside the boardroom, highlighting the complex dynamics between founders and shareholders in high-growth startups.