Latest news with #AmanGupta
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
"When Indians Weren't...": Shark Tank's Aman Gupta On 2000s Goa Parties
New Delhi: Aman Gupta, the co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, took listeners back to a very different Goa during a conversation on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast. It was a time when Indian partygoers were rare and the underground rave culture was dominated almost entirely by foreign tourists. Mr Gupta, also a Shark Tank India judge, spoke about his early party escapades in Goa, long before it became a mainstream destination for domestic travellers. One of his most vivid memories is of the secret forest parties, where finding the venue was an adventure in itself. Recounting his early 2000s party adventures, Mr Gupta said he and his friends often found themselves to be the only Indians among crowds of international revellers. 'These parties, they were such parties that we didn't know the venue. We would take our scooter and ask our foreigner friends, ' Aaj party kahan hai (where's the party today)?'' he recalled. Watch the podcast here: One of the more iconic venues from that time, he said, was the Bamboo Forest, a hidden gem that hosted wild parties frequented by foreigners. 'That time, when we used to go to Goa, there were no Indians. We were the only Indians there (at forest parties),' Mr Gupta noted. He also reflected on the social dynamics of Goa's popular tourist areas like Anjuna Beach, known for its Israeli backpacker crowd. Indians, he said, were often given a cold shoulder by the local hospitality industry. 'I remember a time we used to go to this place called Anjuna Beach. Back then, only Israelis would get accommodation there. That's how it was. Indians hardly got space to stay because the place was full of Israelis. They were a tight-knit group, and honestly, they didn't make Indians feel very welcome,' he said. Looking at the present, Mr Gupta observed a shift in Goa's tourism dynamic. Once dominated by foreign visitors, Goa is now very much a destination for Indian travellers, who are not only more accepted but also economically influential. Despite the shifts in crowd and culture over the years, Mr Gupta's love for Goa has remained constant. "I've always loved Goa. Even now, when people say they don't enjoy it anymore, I still do. In fact, I feel like now that the crowd has thinned a bit, the real Goa vibe is back. There was a time when it got too crowded, but I've loved Goa since childhood," Mr Gupta said. We used to go there even before Dil Chahta Hai made it popular, he said. "I don't know how the Dil Chahta Hai folks picked up a story that was pretty much our own and put it into their film, it really felt like our story".
Mint
5 hours ago
- Mint
Shark Tank's Aman Gupta recalls time when ‘Indians weren't respected in Goa': ‘Only Israelis were…'
BoAt co-founder, and Shark Tank India judge Aman Gupta opened up about the changing party culture in Goa, recalling how the scene was very different in the early 2000s. Speaking on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast, the 43-year-old entrepreneur shared his memories of partying in the forests of Goa with friends and foreign tourists. Gupta said that back then, Indian tourists were not as welcome in certain parts of the state. 'At Anjuna beach, only Israelis were given a place. I remember, this was a Goa where Indians did not get a place to stay as Israelis used to lead that place. All these Goan people actually did not respect Indians that much,' he recalled. The boAt co-founder also spoke about the exclusive nature of the forest parties at the time. 'These parties, they were such parties that we didn't know the venue. We would take our scooter and ask our foreigner friends, 'Aaj party kahan hai?'' he said, adding, 'In 2000, Bamboo Forest was very popular in Goa.' Gupta noted that during those times, he and his group were often the only Indians at such gatherings. 'This time, when we used to go to Goa, there were no Indians. We were the only Indians there at Bamboo forest parties],' he said.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Viral video shows violent clash on Kedarnath Yatra route, men attack each other with sticks
In the early 2000s, Goa's party scene excluded Indians, with foreigners dominating spaces like Anjuna beach. Today, Aman Gupta notes a shift, with Indian tourists now welcomed warmly and able to pay more, reflecting India's evolving tourism landscape.
Hindustan Times
6 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Sydney transport urges tall commuters to mind their armpits: ‘This should be printed inside every train'
In the early 2000s, Goa's party scene excluded Indians, with foreigners dominating spaces like Anjuna beach. Today, Aman Gupta notes a shift, with Indian tourists now welcomed warmly and able to pay more, reflecting India's evolving tourism landscape.
Hindustan Times
7 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘Indians weren't respected': Aman Gupta on Goa in the 2000s vs today
Aman Gupta, the millionaire co-founder of boAt Lifestyle, spoke about Goa's changing party scenes in a recent podcast. The 43-year-old entrepreneur remembered the time he and his friends partied in the forests of Goa with foreigners. Gupta revealed that there were hardly any Indians at these parties, and certain parts of Goa welcomed only foreigners. This, he said, is in stark contrast with the situation today, as Indian tourists are welcomed happily in Goa. Aman Gupta remembered the early 2000s, when he and his friends would visit Goa and party in the forests of the state. At that time, Anjuna beach was populated by Israeli tourists. 'At Anjuna beach, only Israelis were given a place. I remember, this was a Goa where Indians did not get a place to stay as Israelis used to lead that place. All these Goan people actually did not respect Indians that much,' Gupta remembered. He contrasted that with the situation today, where Indian tourists are welcomed warmly by Goans. 'If you see today, Indians can pay more than anybody else. So India has evolved and Indian tourists are also welcomed now.' Before he became the millionaire co-founder of boAt, Aman Gupta was a regular youngster who liked to party in Goa with his friends. He recalled on The Prakhar Gupta Xperience podcast that there used to be forest parties in Goa that were frequented mostly by foreigners. 'These parties, they were such parties that we didn't know the venue. We would take our scooter and ask our foreigner friends, 'Aaj party kahan hai? (Where is the party tonight?).'' 'In 2000, Bamboo Forest was very popular in Goa,' Gupta recalled. 'This time, when we used to go to Goa, there were no Indians. We were the only Indians there [at Bamboo forest parties],' said the co-founder of boAt.
