Kunal Bahl
{{Short description|Indian entrepreneur}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2014}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Kunal Bahl
| image = Kunal Bahl - Kolkata 2015-05-21 0530.JPG
| caption = Bahl in 2015
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| birth_place = New Delhi, India
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| known_for = E-commerce, Venture Capital
| education = B.S.E in Entrepreneurship, Operation & Information Management, Wharton
B.A.S in Engineering
| alma_mater = University of Pennsylvania
| occupation = Entrepreneur, Investor
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| television = Shark Tank India
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Kunal Bahl is an Indian technology entrepreneur and investor.{{cite news|title=Kunal Bahl: Snapdeal's CEO created one of India's largest online marketplaces|url=http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-02/news/49578464_1_marketplaces-snapdeal-jack-ma|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140921000930/http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/2014-05-02/news/49578464_1_marketplaces-snapdeal-jack-ma|url-status=dead|archive-date=21 September 2014|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=The Economic Times}}{{cite news|title=In the news|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/article/industry/companies/in-the-news-3/46605/|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=The Financial Express}}
Early life
Bahl was born in India and had completed his initial school education at Delhi Public School R. K. Puram (DPS) New Delhi. He applied to the University of Pennsylvania and received admission. He graduated from the Jerome Fisher Program in Management and Technology at the University of Pennsylvania, earning two bachelor's degrees in Entrepreneurship, Operation & Information Management from The Wharton School and Engineering from the School of Engineering and Applied Science. He finished an executive marketing program from Kellogg School of Management.{{Cite news|last=Gupte|first=Masoom|title=Here's what connects Snapdeal's Kunal Bahl and CEAT's Anant Goenka|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/magazines/panache/heres-what-connects-snapdeals-kunal-bahl-and-ceats-anant-goenka/articleshow/47625260.cms|access-date=2021-01-28}} He worked with Microsoft for a short period, as he went back to India due to a visa issue in 2007.{{cite web|url=http://www.firstpost.com/world/all-for-love-when-satya-nadella-surrendered-his-green-card-for-h1-b-visa-4083165.html|title=All for love: When Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella surrendered his Green Card for wife Anu|date=26 September 2017 }}{{cite news|title=Lunch with BS: Kunal Bahl|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/lunch-with-bs-kunal-bahl-founder-and-ceo-snapdeal-com-114071801448_1.html|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Business Standard}}
Career
Bahl co-founded the e-commerce company Snapdeal in 2010.{{cite news|title=The Evolution of Snapdeal|url=http://forbesindia.com/article/30-under-30/the-evolution-of-snapdeal/37223/0|accessdate=2 March 2015|work=Forbes}}{{cite news|title=Supercharged|url=http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/snapdeal-flipkart-alibabacom-kunal-bahl-rohit-bansal/1/208582.html|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Business Today}} In 2022, the company assumed the group corporate identity of AceVector, which houses multiple businesses such as Snapdeal, Unicommerce, and Stellaro Brands.{{Cite web |last=Upadhyay |first=Harsh |date=2022-06-14 |title=Snapdeal, Unicommerce and Stellaro brands house under AceVector |url=https://entrackr.com/2022/06/snapdeal-unicommerce-and-stellaro-brands-house-under-acevector/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=Entrackr |language=en-US}}
He is the Promoter of Unicommerce, a SaaS company in India, which had its IPO in 2024 becoming on the most highly subscribed IPOs of the year.{{Cite news |title=Unicommerce eSolutions makes stellar market debut as shares list at 118% premium |url=https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo/unicommerce-esolutions-makes-stellar-market-debut-as-shares-list-at-118-premium-12794689.html}}
He is also the Co-founder of Titan Capital, an early stage venture capital firm in India and has invested in companies like Ola, Urban Company, Mamaearth, Credgenics, Shadowfax, Razorpay, Giva, among others. Famously Titan Capital, which invests the personal funds of Kunal and Rohit Bansal, has made returns of over 100 times in many investments like Ola, Urban Company, Mamaearth, among others.{{Cite news |title=Titan Capital's 100x return club: MamaEarth, Ola, Urban Company and Credgenics |url=https://entrackr.com/2023/11/titan-capitals-100x-return-club-mamaearth-ola-urban-company-and-credgenics/}}
Bahl has also been involved with various industry associations and think-tanks. He has been on the board of governors of the Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations,{{Cite web|title=Board Of Governors {{!}} Think tank {{!}} ICRIER|url=http://icrier.org/abouticrier/board-of-governors/|access-date=2020-12-30|website=icrier.org}} a member of the executive council of NASSCOM,{{Cite web|date=2016-09-27|title=Executive Council|url=https://nasscom.in/our-councils/executive-council|access-date=2020-12-30|website=NASSCOM|language=en}} and the chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) National Committee on E-commerce.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-13|title=Snapdeal's Kunal Bahl to lead CII's e-commerce committee|url=https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/snapdeal-s-kunal-bahl-to-lead-cii-s-e-commerce-committee-11594634185072.html|access-date=2020-12-30|website=mint|language=en}} He also serves on the National Startup Advisory Council, a committee to advise the Indian government on efforts needed to build a strong startup ecosystem.{{Cite web |date=2021-01-20 |title=National Startup Advisory Council Nominates 28 Non-Official Members From The Startup Ecosystem |url=https://thestartuplab.in/national-startup-advisory-council-nominates-28-non-official-members-from-the-startup-ecosystem/ |access-date=2022-06-27 |website=The StartupLab : Compliance {{!}} Tech {{!}} Funding |language=en-US}}
He also serves as an Independent Director on the Board of Piramal Enterprises, an Indian conglomerate.{{Cite news |title=Piramal Enterprises appoints Kunal Bahl, Suhail Nathani as independent directors to its board |work=The Economic Times |url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/piramal-enterprises-appoints-kunal-bahl-suhail-nathani-as-independent-directors-to-its-board/articleshow/78677403.cms |access-date=2022-06-27}}
Television
Kunal was one of the three main judges and investors in Prime Video's reality TV show "Mission Start Ab" aired on 19 December 2023.{{cite web |title=Prime Video's Mission Start Ab, a billion Dollar Opportunity for New Businesses |url=https://www.brutimes.com/news/entertainment/prime-videos-mission-start-ab-a-billion-dollar-opportunity-for-new-businesses |website=BruTimes |language=en}}
He is a Shark in Shark Tank India Season 4 Premiering on Sony LIV.
He is going to appear in shark tank 4 2025{{cite web |title=New on Amazon Prime Video this week: 'Dry Day', 'Mission Start Ab' and more |url=https://www.thehindu.com/entertainment/movies/new-on-amazon-prime-video-this-week-dry-day-mission-start-ab-and-more/article67653604.ece |website=The Hindu |language=en-IN |date=19 December 2023}} He is also one of the sharks and investors in Shark Tank India Season 4 which is being aired on Sony Liv{{Cite news |last=Mondal |first=Sukarna |date=January 6, 2025 |title=Kunal Bahl on being a part of Shark Tank India 4 |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/tv/news/hindi/exclusive-kunal-bahl-on-being-a-part-of-shark-tank-india-4-i-am-a-private-person-this-is-as-much-as-going-out-of-the-comfort-zone-for-me/articleshow/116976418.cms |work=The Times of India}}
Awards and recognitions
- BMA Entrepreneur of the Year 2014 {{cite news|title=36th BMA awards|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai/mumbai-36th-bma-awards-to-be-held-on-february-16/article1-1316848.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402110306/http://www.hindustantimes.com/mumbai/mumbai-36th-bma-awards-to-be-held-on-february-16/article1-1316848.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=2 April 2015|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=The Hindustan Times}}
- ET Top 50 Entrepreneur of India 2014{{cite news|title=ET Award|url=http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=57639|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Orissa Diary|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402125745/http://www.orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=57639|archive-date=2 April 2015|url-status=dead}}
- Ranked 25 on Fortune 40 under 40 most influential business leaders list 2014 {{cite news|title=40 under 40|url=http://fortune.com/40-under-40/kunal-bahl-25/|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=Fortune}}
- EY Entrepreneur of the Year - Startup 2014 {{cite news|title=EY entrepreneur of the year|url=http://www.financialexpress.com/article/companies/cyrus-s-poonawalla-named-ey-entrepreneur-of-the-year/39479/|accessdate=2 March 2015|publisher=The Financial Express}}
- Nasscom NextGen Entrepreneur 2014 {{Cite web|url = http://www.nasscom.in/hon’ble-prime-minister-sh-narendra-modi-and-nasscom-launched-"innovate-india-challenge"|title = NASSCOM SPECIAL AWARDS|date = |accessdate = 2 May 2015|website = |publisher = Nasscom|last = |first = }}
- The Economic Times Entrepreneur of the Year Award 2015{{Cite news|title=ET Awards 2015: Snapdeal's Kunal Bahl wins Entrepreneur of the Year; here's what he said|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/et-awards-2015-snapdeals-kunal-bahl-wins-entrepreneur-of-the-year-heres-what-he-said/articleshow/50513315.cms|access-date=2020-12-30}}
- AIMA Transformational Business Leader of the Year {{Cite web|url = https://www.aima.in/media-centre/events/mia.html|title = AIMA Managing India Awards|date = |accessdate = 2 May 2015|website = |publisher = AIMA|last = |first = }}
- Indian Affairs Business Leader of the Year 2015 {{cite news|title=India Leadership Conclave 2015|url=http://pharmaleaders.tv/top-leaders-emerging-shining-stars-felicitated-at-india-leadership-conclave-2015/}}
- The Joseph Wharton Award for Young Leadership 2018{{Cite web|title=Kunal Bahl, W'06, Eng'06|url=https://www.whartonny.com/article.html?aid=3096|access-date=2020-12-30|website=www.whartonny.com}}
- The Economic Times Comeback Award 2019{{Cite news|title=Tenacity of Snapdeal founders makes them 'Comeback Kid' in ET Startup Awards 2019|work=The Economic Times|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/tenacity-of-snapdeal-founders-makes-them-comeback-kid-in-et-startup-awards-2019/articleshow/70324960.cms|access-date=2020-12-30}}
Personal life
Bahl is married to Yashna, who ran a confectionery business.{{cite news|title=Flipkart CEO wanted to be a gamer, Snapdeal chief a food and film critic|url=http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/flipkart-ceo-wanted-to-be-a-gamer-snapdeal-chief-a-food-and-film-critic-114080500001_1.html|accessdate=1 December 2015|publisher=Business Standard}}