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Raj Shamani | |
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| Born | 29 July 1997[1] Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India |
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| Known for | Figuring Out with Raj Shamani |
Raj Shamani (born 29 July 1997)[2] is an Indian entrepreneur and podcaster. He is primarily known for hosting the business podcast Figuring Out with Raj Shamani.[3]
Early life and education[edit | edit source]
Shamani was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a Sindhi family. His father, Suresh Shamani, was involved in textile and chemical trading.[4] Following his father’s health issues and a period of financial difficulty, he began assisting in the family business at the age of 16.[5] He attended the Emerald Heights International School and later Prestige Institute of Management in Indore.[citation needed]
Career[edit | edit source]
Business activities[edit | edit source]
In 2013, Shamani launched a dishwashing liquid product named "Jadugar Drop."[5] In 2015, the venture was integrated with his family’s chemical trading business to form Shamani Industries, a manufacturer and distributor of household cleaning products.[6]
Shamani also co-founded "House of X," a platform designed to help digital creators launch consumer brands, and acts as an angel investor for various Indian startups.[7][6]
Podcast and media[edit | edit source]
In 2021, he launched his podcast, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani, which focuses on entrepreneurship and personal development.[7]
In 2024, he was a speaker at the National Creators Award where he addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[7]
In June 2025, businessman Vijay Mallya gave his first public interview in nine years on the podcast. The four-hour episode garnered 20 million views within four days.[8][9][10] Other guests on the podcast have included Emmanuel Macron and Bill Gates.[5]
Controversies[edit | edit source]
Editing and representation concerns[edit | edit source]
Actor Anupam Kher publicly criticized Shamani in 2025, alleging that parts of his interview were edited in a way that removed key remarks, leading to questions about authenticity and editorial practices.[11]
Podcast guest selection[edit | edit source]
In 2025, Shamani faced backlash after hosting self proclaimed forex trader Umar Punjabi on his podcast, with several viewers alleging that the guest had been involved in scams.[12] He later deleted the podcast. Critics accused Shamani of giving a platform to questionable figures, raising concerns about credibility and responsibility in content creation. Similar criticism had earlier emerged following his interview with Vijay Mallya,[13][14] where commentators argued that the platform allowed controversial individuals to present their narratives without sufficient challenge.[15][16]
Legal disputes[edit | edit source]
In 2025, Shamani was involved in a legal matter before the Delhi High Court, where he agreed to edit and remove portions of a podcast episode after concerns were raised about allegedly disparaging claims made during the discussion.[17][18]
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ "Who is Raj Shamani? The Indian podcaster who hosted international names like Bill Gates, Vijay Mallya, and more". The Times of India. 10 June 2025.
- ↑ "Soap seller to 15 million followers - The Raj Shamani story". Zee News. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani beats Joe Rogan to become India's no.1 podcaster in Spotify Wrapped 2025; full list inside". The Financial Express. 2025-12-08. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani Net Worth 2026: Income, Business Empire & Success Story". 2026-01-19. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Who is Raj Shamani? The Indian podcaster who hosted international names like Bill Gates, Vijay Mallya, and more". The Times of India. 2025-06-10. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Raj Shamani's rise as leading podcaster in India: The young, dashing YouTuber behind the hit show 'Figuring Out' is also an astute entrepreneur". Bhaskar English. 2025-12-10. Retrieved 2026-03-07.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mukhopadhyay, Sounak (31 December 2024). "Raj Shamani: 'Don't compromise on what you believe is right'; YouTube podcast star on business of content creation". mint.
- ↑ "Vijay Mallya is 'overwhelmed, humbled' as podcast hits 20 million views". Business-standard.com.
- ↑ Kaul, Vivek (12 June 2025). "Vijay Mallya's 4.3 hour spin job: From king of good times to podcast prince of excuses". The News Minute.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani opens up about controversial Vijay Mallya podcast, reveals how he approached him: 'Do you know who I am?'". The Economic Times. 24 July 2025.
- ↑ "Anupam Kher calls Raj Shamani 'fake' for cutting out his advice on humility: 'You should always research your guests'". The Times of India. 2025-08-23. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani faces backlash for hosting self-proclaimed millionaire Umar Punjabi on podcast". www.buzzincontent.com. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani 'Whitewash' Memes Go Viral After Vijay Mallya Podcast: Why YouTuber Is Facing Heat". News18. June 11, 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ↑ "Vijay Mallya 'humbled', 'overwhelmed' after podcast goes viral; some users call it 'image laundering'". www.storyboard18.com. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ "Raj Shamani 'Whitewash' Memes Go Viral After Vijay Mallya Podcast: Why YouTuber Is Facing Heat". News18.
- ↑ "Sonam Raghuvanshi, Voldemort memes erupt after Vijay Mallya's 'image-cleansing' podcast with Raj Shamani". Hindustan Times. 2025-06-11. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ Thapliyal, Nupur (2025-04-08). "YouTuber Raj Shamani Agrees Before Delhi High Court To Cut Dr Manjot Marwah's 'Disparaging' Claims On Dettol From His Podcast Video". www.livelaw.in. Retrieved 2026-04-23.
- ↑ "Influencers agree to take down content critical of Dettol, Delhi High Court informed". www.storyboard18.com. Retrieved 2026-04-23.