Anupam Mittal’s Big Decision on Daughter’s Name Sparks Conversation

Anupam Mittal Breaks Tradition: Why the Shark Tank India Judge Didn’t Give His Daughter His Middle Name

Entrepreneur Anupam Mittal—founder of People Group and Shaadi.com and a judge on Shark Tank India—has won praise online for a thoughtful decision about his daughter’s name.

No father’s name as the middle name

On LinkedIn, Anupam posted a photo with his little girl, Alyssa, and explained why she is called Alyssa Anantara instead of “Alyssa Anupam Mittal.”

“When my daughter was born, everyone expected me to put my own name in the middle, as many families do,” he wrote. “But I didn’t want that.”

He pointed out that, in many cultures, a girl first carries her father’s name and later may replace it with her husband’s—an old custom no one questions.

“Anantara” means “limitless”

Instead, Anupam chose Anantara, which means limitless.

“We wanted to tell her: You don’t have to carry anyone’s legacy. You are not defined by the men in your life. You are free to write your own story.”

Equality from the very start

Mittal added that a name might seem like a small thing, but for him and his wife it was a way to begin true equality at home and give their daughter the freedom to shape her own identity.

Social‑media users applauded the move, calling it a refreshing break from tradition and a new parenting norm.

Anupam Mittal recently appeared as a judge on Shark Tank India 4.

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