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Capital gains: Amazon MX Player bets ₹100 crore on Bharat’s bold founders
Mumbai: When pitches meet purse strings, the stakes get very real. Amazon MX Player has unveiled the trailer of Bharat Ke Super Founders, a new entrepreneurial reality series that promises less drama, more diligence and a hefty ₹100 crore investment pool to back India’s next generation of business builders.
Streaming for free from 16 January 2026, the show offers a front-row seat to a no-nonsense pitch room where ambition is questioned, numbers are scrutinised, and capital is committed. Hosted and mentored by Suniel Shetty, Bharat Ke Super Founders brings together some of India’s most respected investors and operators to support entrepreneurs building with clarity, discipline and long-term intent.
Produced by Rusk Media and Recur Club, and co-powered by StockGro and Legacy Collective, the series positions itself as a serious platform rather than a spectacle. With Jana Small Finance Bank as the start-up banking partner, OnePlus Pad3 as the productivity partner and Bowlers as the pet food partner, the show blends business realism with broad-based brand support.
At the heart of the trailer is its headline promise, a ₹100 crore investment pool, the largest-ever commitment for an Indian entrepreneurial reality show. Backed by industry leaders and Recur Club, the capital is structured across equity and debt, reflecting how modern Indian startups actually raise and scale funds.
The series places a sharp focus on founders from across Bharat, including small towns and emerging markets, spotlighting businesses rooted in lived experiences and real needs. Rather than polished pitches alone, the show foregrounds verified fundamentals, candid conversations and unfiltered feedback. The result is a mix of high-pressure decision-making and raw storytelling, as founders open up about setbacks, risks and resilience.
The investor panel includes Dr A. VeluMani of Thyrocare, Nitish Mittersain of Nazara Technologies, Dr Aarti Gupta of Anikarth Ventures, Shanti Mohan of LetsVenture Trica, Aditya Singh of All In Capital and Ankur Mittal of Physis Capital and Inflexion Point Ventures. They are joined through the season by a rotating roster of business leaders, adding depth and diversity to the discussions. Strengthening the financial lens further, Recur Club’s Eklavya Gupta introduces AI-native debt solutions, highlighting new-age approaches to capital.
Director and Head of Content at Amazon MX Player, Amogh Dusad, said the show was designed to prioritise authenticity. “By combining real founders, real capital and a stringent evaluation process, the series creates genuine opportunity across Bharat. It reflects our focus on content rooted in purpose, ambition and real impact.”
For Suniel Shetty, the appeal lies in the discipline behind success. “This show is about consistency, not shortcuts. It’s about falling, learning and getting back up. Being part of a platform where serious ideas are backed with serious capital is something I truly value,” he said.
Dr A. VeluMani described the series as a true reflection of business realities, while Nitish Mittersain noted its emphasis on outcomes over optics. “These are founders who want to build enduring companies, not just raise funds,” he said.
Bharat Ke Super Founders will stream exclusively on Amazon MX Player from 16 January 2026, available on the MX Player app, the Amazon shopping app, Prime Video, Fire TV, Connected TVs and Airtel Xtreme.
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Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
