"[I’m] the perfect mix of charm and hustle."
The BBC’s business competition, The Apprentice, will shortly return to our screens for its 20th series.
To celebrate its admirable milestone, the show’s 2026 season will feature 20 candidates, all vying for Lord Alan Sugar’s £250,000 investment.
Each candidate will present a business proposal to Lord Sugar and undergo a rigorous and gruelling process of tasks.
These tasks are designed to test their teamwork and business skills, including marketing, negotiation, and pitching.
After each task, following daunting discussions in the boardroom, at least one losing candidate is fired by Lord Sugar.
In the end, only one of them will become Lord Sugar’s business partner.
The 2026 series of The Apprentice features six candidates who are of South Asian descent.
This heritage refers to individuals who can range from Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, and Sri Lankan backgrounds.
Let’s find out more about them.
Karishma Vijay
Karishma is a beauty brand owner from Ashford, Surrey.
She hails from a family who have business running in their blood, and she’s the first businesswoman in a long line of entrepreneurs.
Karishma is determined and focused, and she asserts that both she and Lord Sugar “came from nothing and started from scratch”.
Since she first started earning, Karishma had to support her family financially.
Priyesh Bathia
As a global accounts manager, Priyesh knows his way around business and numbers.
He lives in Harrow, North London, and by entering The Apprentice, Priyesh hopes to expand his cocktail business into a national brand.
The businessman aims to see his brand stocked on supermarket shelves and available to buy from a mobile cocktail bar.
He said: “[I’m] the perfect mix of charm and hustle who’s confident, quick-thinking, and not afraid to get stuck in.”
Rothna Akhtar
A student well-being advisor from East London, Rothna wants to boost her side hustle bakery business.
She has ambitions to “revolutionise” the cake and wellness industry.
Rothna also wishes to achieve this with interactive baking workshops and bespoke occasion cakes.
She warns not to mistake her “kindness for weakness” and is determined not to allow anything to stop her from achieving her goals.
Rajan Gill
From Medway, Kent, Rajan is a pharmaceuticals specialist. He is keen to take his industry in a new direction.
Rajan aims to kickstart his business on mounting televisions and building bespoke media walls.
He wants new-build developers to offer his media walls, TV mounting, and panelling as optional upgrades, in a fashion similar to flooring or kitchen choices.
Rajan has spent his fair share of time on freezing construction sites and says he has got stuck into “both sides of business: the boardroom and the physical side”.
Nikki Jetha
A mortgage broker from Hornchurch, Essex, Nikki looks up to Kim Kardashian as her role model.
She praises Kim for “redefining what it is to be a modern-day businesswoman”.
Nikki’s dream is to build a business that will streamline the mortgage industry.
Another thing she admires Kim for is proving that “you can be glamorous, family-oriented, and the complete boss all at once”.
To top it all off, Nikki calls herself one of the “top mortgage advisors in the UK”.
Tanmay Hingorani
From Islington, North London, Tanmay is an AI product consultant.
With Lord Sugar’s investment, he hopes to create an AI-powered digital loyalty and marketing platform that revolutionises how food and drink businesses and customers connect.
He believes playing chess has sharpened his strategic mindset.
Tanmay also wants to appeal to Lord Sugar’s early days in tech sales, and that their “skills would complement each other”.
These six candidates clearly have willpower, determination, and drive to succeed.
But whether their business acumen will impress remains to be seen.
Will they thrive in the process or find themselves at the receiving end of Lord Sugar’s firing finger?
Find out when The Apprentice returns on Thursday, January 29, 2026, on BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
DESIblitz wishes Karishma, Priyesh, Rothna, Rajan, Nikki, and Tanmay the very best of luck!
Baroness Karren Brady and Tim Campbell MBE will be returning as Lord Sugar’s trusted aides.
For their first task, the 20 candidates will be flying to Hong Kong to secure nine items at low prices, aiming to test their negotiation and logistical skills.
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