Shark Tank Season 5: The fifth season of Shark Tank aired on 5 January, 2026, and this time the popular show has roped in 15 judges who will invest in several businesses over the days. The new sharks include tech entrepreneurs, fintech leaders, and consumer brand entrepreneurs. Of them, Kanika Tekriwal, the founder and CEO of JetSetGo stands out with her unique story of resilience and entrepreneurship.
The force behind private aviation company JetSetGo, Kanika Tekriwal is the founder of India's first aircraft leasing firm. Here is everything you need to know about her.
Who is Kanika Tekriwal?
Kanika Tekriwal was just 2021 when she founded JetSetGo in 2014. Her journey is marked by resilience, will, strength and courage.
“I wanted to become a pilot. But I come from a Marwari family. My parents thought, ‘Driver banegi?’ and it was a no,” she once told in an interview cited by The Indian Express, highlighting the path she had to cross to become successful.
As she grew older, she had a groundbreaking idea — an Uber service, but for the skies. Her idea was simple, buy private jets and rent them out. And in 2014, she founded JetSetGo.
In an interview with The Times of India, Tekriwal had revealed that till date she invested ₹5,600 to start her company.
“A lot of people ask me how I did this without raising money. Till date, I have invested only ₹5,600, and we operate India’s largest fleet of private jets,” she told the newspaper.
Overcoming cancer
Kanika Tekriwal's journey was not easy. She was diagnosed with stage-2 Hodgkin's Lymphomia, a type of cancer that affects your lymphatic nodes.
The diagnosis marked an unprecedented halt to her plans, and her dream to launch a company turned into a nightmare of survival. However, after treatment and sheer will, she emerged victorious and stronger than ever.
Building brick by brick
Surviving in an industry full of men was not easy, Tekriwal said.
“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,” she was quoted as saying by TOI.
She went door to door for investment but was faced with a room full of doubtful investors. Finally in 2014, Tekriwal along with Sudheer Perla started JetSetGo.
Today, the company is not just a charter flight firm. According to its website, JetSetGo manages manage, guides ownership, offers exclusive membership programs, and is “preparing for the next era of aviation with electric and vertical take-off aircraft.”
Kanika Tekriwal net worth
According to the Hurun India Rich List in 2022, which was the latest data available, Kanika Tekriwal's net worth was estimated at ₹420 crore.
She was listed as the youngest self-made woman entrepreneur that year.