3 minutes of readingNew DelhiFebruary 9, 2026 02:39 pm IST
Anupam Mittalthe founder of Shaadi.com and shark tank india judge, recently spoke with his trademark wit, sharing cheeky opinions on why hustle beats honesty and joked about being called “India’s Tony Stark.”
Anupam Mittal prefers hustle over honesty
During a podcast with Krishnank Atrey, when asked if he values hustle more than honesty, Mittal explained that while it’s non-negotiable, sometimes a dash of dishonesty is inevitable. “Integrity can never be compromised, but sometimes you have to be a little dishonest. Like when your girlfriend or wife asks you how you look; honesty isn’t always the best policy,” he said with a laugh, adding that people shouldn’t take this philosophy too literally.
Mittal revealed that he would absolutely invest in a 25-year-old version of himself. “I had a lot of passion, energy and determination at that age. If I saw that in someone else, I would invest without hesitation,” he said.
“I would hire Aman Gupta for public relations”
When asked what roles he would assign to Shark Tank judges Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar if they applied for a job with him, he said he would hire Aman for PR and Namita for operations.
Anupam Mittal on being called ‘India’s Tony Stark’
Being called “India’s Tony Stark”, Mittal was jocular. “I have heard that people there also call him Anupam Mittal,” he joked.
In an earlier conversation with ETimes, he had reacted to the comparison saying, “Being compared to someone is no big deal. It’s not an achievement. I would rather be myself.”
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Anupam Mittal on similarities with Deepinder Goyal
He also drew parallels between him and Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal, highlighting their shared focus on longevity.
“We are both passionate about longevity. Deepinder is working in the same area now, abhi to usey nikal diya shayad (he has been removed). He is no longer the CEO,” he said.
Mittal on Goyal resigning as CEO
Mittal recently weighed in on Deepinder Goyal’s resignation as CEO of Eternity. Through his Linkedin post, he argued that the founders’ resignation from their CEO positions should not be seen as a crisis but as a sign of organizational maturity. “This is not failure, it is maturity,” he wrote.
“Today, startups are growing faster than their founders can grow as managers,” he explained. “What works with 10 people fails with 100, and what works with 100 fails with 1000.”
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He said founders are strongest in the early stages of a company: the “0 to 1 and 1 to 10” phases. Beyond that, organizations need different skill sets, he noted.
“I think making yourself replaceable should be one of the key goals of every founder,” Mittal added.
Pointing to global tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft, he explained that lasting success often comes from founders stepping aside at the right time.
“It’s not about losing control. It’s often about choosing what’s best for the company,” he wrote.