From a ₹50 LPA Job to Street Food Carts: Saket Saurabh’s Grit-Fuelled Entrepreneurial Leap

Shark Tank India has been a launchpad for some of India’s most inspiring startup journeys, and even before his episode airs, Saket Saurabh is already capturing attention on social media. In a recent reel, Saket revealed a bold decision that has resonated with aspiring founders across the country: he quit a high-paying job of nearly ₹50 lakh per annum to build a food business from scratch.

In a conversation with Voice Of Entrepreneur, Saket shared insights into his unconventional journey. A graduate of the National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) in 2014, Saket entered the startup ecosystem early by launching his own venture, which was later acquired. Post-acquisition, he stayed on with the acquiring company as a product manager, earning close to ₹52 lakh annually, a role many would consider a career peak.

However, Saket describes himself as an innovator at heart, driven more by creation than comfort. Despite professional stability, the urge to build something of his own never faded. That itch eventually led him to experiment with a side hustle in Gurugram, where he started a generic café offering a wide range of food items.

While the café gave him operational exposure, it was clarity, not comfort, that changed his direction. Saket and his team decided to narrow their focus and experiment with Momo carts instead. The pivot proved to be a turning point. “That cart did great business. We were doing ₹10,000 to ₹12,000 in sales every day,” Saket shared, highlighting the power of specialisation and understanding customer demand at the grassroots level.

Saket’s journey reflects a growing trend among India’s new-age entrepreneurs, where calculated risk, hands-on learning, and deep market insight matter more than traditional markers of success like salary or designation. His story also reinforces a powerful message: entrepreneurship is not always born out of necessity; sometimes, it’s the result of an unshakeable passion to build.

As anticipation builds around his upcoming appearance on Shark Tank India, Saket Saurabh’s journey already stands as a reminder that true innovation often begins when one chooses purpose over paychecks and conviction over comfort.