Ideabaaz: You've Seen The Show, Now Meet The Creative Force Behind India's Newest Startup Platform
From meeting over 2K startups to finding Sutradhar in Pratik Gandhi and respectful tone of the show, Kailash Gandhi shares what went into making Ideabaaz.
By Minal Rudra
Published : December 2, 2025 at 1:56 PM IST
Earlier this year, India established itself as the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world. The rise of startups hints at a shift from a job-seeking to a job-creating mindset. The spark can be born in anyone’s mind, but not everyone has access to the resources to realise their dreams. With an aim to give wings to these ideas came Ideabaaz, Zee's flagship show launched on October 25, 2025. Many would have seen the show. Now meet Kailash Gandhi, the creative force behind Ideabaaz. He allows us a peep inside what went into making the show where startups' journey from idea to unicorn takes flight.
Tracing the beginning of his journey with Ideabaaz, Kailash Gandhi shares, “It started with a phone call almost two years ago when Jeet Vagh and his father got in touch through someone who knew my work. They didn’t have a concept then but were sure about wanting to do something in the startup space rooted in India.”
Kailash liked the idea, but it wasn't enough for him to say 'yes' to the project. What gave him confidence, he says, was the makers' intention behind the project. They were set out to make a show that told an India-rooted startup story. “I thought about it and finally said yes. I had some ideas of my own, so I started putting together a concept," says Kailash.
Kailash wrote the first draft of the concept, which he says did not need much condensing. When media veteran Raj Nayak came on board, he added his own vision, and that, he says, pushed the team to "think bigger."
Before taking the show on the floor, he met more than two thousand startups and found one common thing in all of them. Every founder had a backstory. To bring that out, Kailash strongly felt that the show needed a face, a sutradhar, who is a people person and can represent the founders on the show.
"We needed a relatable popular face, someone who would stand for the entrepreneurs.” The search led him to Pratik Gandhi. The Scam 1992 star was the first name that crossed Kailash's mind. “Pratik was my first choice. He’s grounded, and because he comes from an engineering background, he gets the startup world. When he heard the idea, he immediately said yes. and that's how the show got its face and voice.”
Ideabaaz garnered 30.9 million viewers across the Zee network in the debut week. The premiere week numbers outshined Shark Tank's performance. Kailash attributes the initial success to multiple factors. “The show was dubbed in eight languages. Viewing habits have changed massively, so OTT and social media contribute a lot to these numbers. We got instant eyeballs, and that really helped.”
Numbers aside, Kailash was aware of the inevitable comparison with Shark Tank India at the idea level. Startup is at the core of both shows. Kailash, however, sees the two as very different shows. He says what sets Ideabaaz apart is its focus on entrepreneurs seeking guidance and mentorship along with securing investment.
“Shark Tank is a format and has fixed rules, whereas Ideabaaz is not only a TV show. The aim was to emerge as a platform that is beyond funding... it's also about mentorship and guidance. Many people don’t know basic things like how to patent an idea or what paperwork they need, and that was the gap that we wanted to bridge," says Gandhi.
Another gap he noticed was at the idea level itself. “Every household has one person with an idea. But they don't know where to take it. Other shows ask for a fully formed startup. What about someone who only has a thought in their mind? We wanted to welcome them too.”
To make the show more participative, Ideabaaz introduced a live audience that rates each pitch. “Sometimes the audience rating is low, but the titans still fund the idea. That helps viewers understand how VCs (Venture Capitalist) think. We wanted to make things transparent and comprehensible.”
Simplicity is visible in the show’s language as well. “No jargon. Pratik talks the way people talk at home. Even when a deal is done, we explain it so viewers understand what happened.”
One of the strongest responses has been about the respectful tone of the show. Maintaining accessibility across spheres and treating everyone with dignity was a rule of thumb on the set.
“I told my team from day one that everyone must feel comfortable,” Kailash says. “Some founders have never been on camera. Some are nervous. We rehearse with them only to help them relax so their real personality comes through. VCs invest in the person as much as in the idea.”
He was also clear that language should never hold anyone back. “We told founders to pitch in the language they think in. Tamil, Telugu, Gujarati, anything. On air we kept their original voice and added subtitles. It keeps the pitch natural.”
Talking about Kailash’s journey, in the last three decades, he has moved through film school, television, live events, and digital content. He began as an assistant director, rising to head of programming at Zee Cinema, and later working with Wizcraft on award shows and events. After stints in other companies, he started his own production banner.
Summing up, Kailash says, “For the last two years, Ideabaaz has been a major part of my life. We set out to build something that actually helps India’s startup ecosystem. And I think we’re on the right path and already thinking about season two.”
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