Raj Shamani
Raj Shamani | |
|---|---|
| Born | 29 July 1997[1] Indore, Madhya Pradesh, India |
| Occupations |
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| Known for | Figuring Out with Raj Shamani |
Raj Shamani (born 29 July 1997) is an Indian entrepreneur and podcaster. He is primarily known for hosting the business podcast Figuring Out with Raj Shamani.[2]
Early life and education
Shamani was born in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, into a Sindhi family. His father, Suresh Shamani, was involved in textile and chemical trading. Following his father’s health issues and a period of financial difficulty, he began assisting in the family business at the age of 16.[3] He attended the Emerald International School and later Prestige Institute of Management in Indore.
Career
Business activities
In 2013, Shamani launched a dishwashing liquid product named "Jadugar Drop."[3] 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.[4]
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.[5][4]
Podcast and media
In 2021, he launched his podcast, Figuring Out with Raj Shamani, which focuses on entrepreneurship and personal development.[5]
In 2024, he was a speaker at the National Creators Award where he addressed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.[5]
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.[6][7][8] Other guests on the podcast have included Emmanuel Macron and Bill Gates.[3]
Controversies
Editing and representation concerns
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.[9]
Podcast guest selection
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.[10] 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,[11][12] where commentators argued that the platform allowed controversial individuals to present their narratives without sufficient challenge.[13][14]
Legal disputes
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.[15][16]
References
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Raj Shamani beats Joe Rogan to become India's no.1 podcaster in Spotify Wrapped 2025; full list inside". The Financial Express. 8 December 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b c "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. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b "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. 10 December 2025. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ a b c 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. 23 August 2025. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ "Raj Shamani faces backlash for hosting self-proclaimed millionaire Umar Punjabi on podcast". www.buzzincontent.com. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ "Raj Shamani 'Whitewash' Memes Go Viral After Vijay Mallya Podcast: Why YouTuber Is Facing Heat". News18. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ "Vijay Mallya 'humbled', 'overwhelmed' after podcast goes viral; some users call it 'image laundering'". www.storyboard18.com. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ "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. 11 June 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2026.
- ^ Thapliyal, Nupur (8 April 2025). "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 23 April 2026.
- ^ "Influencers agree to take down content critical of Dettol, Delhi High Court informed". www.storyboard18.com. Retrieved 23 April 2026.