5 startup pitches on Shark Tank India that deserved an investment

The season finale of Shark Tank India aired last week. The show has received a positive response from all over the country. The audience watched Shark Tank India for more reasons than one:

a) we got free business tips

b) now we know about unusual business ideas

c) Sharks shared their inspiring stories, and

d) we looooveee the entertainment.

From Ashneer Grover’s doglapan remark to the Gol Nabhi pitch, the show kept us entertained throughout. There were many LOL moments featuring the Sharks that became netizens’ favourite.

Last week, we also listed the worst pitches from the show that had us picking our jaw up from the floor.

Now, we have another list for you.

There were many pitches or business ideas that deserved more attention and of course, money. So, here are 5 deserving yet overlooked business ideas from Shark Tank India.

5 Shark Tank India pitches that deserved to hear “It’s a deal!”

1. GADGETS FOR VISUALLY IMPAIRED PEOPLE

Torchit’s device for visually impaired people is one of the much-needed inventions. This device can make the life of blind people better and enhance their quality of life. The founder Hunny Bhagchandani has also received a National Award for his initiative. But Hunny had to leave with zero investment from Shark Tank India.

Every Shark had their own concerns. However, Anupam Mittal offered Rs 50 lakh for 2.5% equity and Rs 25 lakh as debt, which is a loan. The standard interest rate for the debt is 12%. To this, Hunny proposed a counter offer of Rs 50 lakh for 1% equity and Rs 25 lakh debt. But Anupam denied.

Anupam and Hunny did not settle for a mutual deal, which made him leave Shark Tank India with no deal.

2. JHAJI ACHAAR

The term 'young entrepreneur' is quite common these days. But we saw entrepreneurs over the age of 50 years on Shark Tank. Similarly, Kalpana Jha, 52, and Uma Jha, 51, from Darbhanga, Bihar, presented their aachar company JhaJi. Their pickles are free of preservatives, chemicals and anything artificial. The products are loaded with rich, Indian traditional flavours.

The duo asked for Rs 50 lakh investment for 10% equity. Every Shark wished them all the best but decided not to invest. Ashneer also gave them business advice on how they should restructure their shareholding.

3. STAINLESS STEEL ITEMS

PDD Falcon’s stainless steel range offers tiffins, sippers and other daily use products made with stainless steel. The brand aims to reduce dependency on plastic products. But the Sharks had their reasons to say no. Vineeta Singh had an issue with the low gross margin (the gross difference between production cost and sale). Meanwhile, Peyush Bansal believed that the products were quite old-fashioned.

The original ask of the company was Rs 75 lakh for 3% equity.

Ghazal Alagh was the only Shark who offered investment. She offered Rs 30 lakh for 10% equity and Rs 45 lakh as debt. This offer raised Namita’s and Vinneta’s eyebrows at the same time.

The pitchers gave a counter offer for Rs 75 lakh for 6%. Ghazal’s last offer was of Rs 75 lakh for 11%, but the company was not ready to give away this much share. And finally, they had to head back home without a deal.

4. CARENTING FOR ELDERS

The company Elcare India’s Carenting for Elders service tries to provide all care services to senior citizens... Care + Parenting. The app offers a variety of services including health services, daily assistance, travelling needs, and more. The founders also came up with an unusual idea: the services will be completed by ex-Defence personnel. This will help develop trust among the customers.

The company asked for a Rs 1 crore investment in exchange for 2.5% equity, which is a really high valuation.

This high valuation became a big concern for the Sharks. Peyush liked the idea but didn’t find the business scalable. Anupam, Ghazal and Aman showed concern over equity share among family members.

So, this was a good business idea but with many loopholes that led to zero investment by Sharks.

5. STREAMING PLATFORM

Modern problems require modern solutions. PlayBox TV gave one such solution. It offers you memberships of different OTT platforms at once at a cheaper price. So, instead of buying a million of subscriptions, you can buy just one plan through this platform. It will also replace multiple TV remotes with a single remote.

Jio being their major competitor; Sharks raised multiple questions. Some found it too risky to invest, while others found it a declining market because their distribution is dependent on local cable operators.

And as usual, Namita said: 

Peyush made an offer for Rs 50 lakh for 20% equity with Rs 50 lakh debt. The pitcher later revealed that 40% of the company is owned by some other investor. Not just this, the investor’s son holds a major position in the business, ans he was present with the pitcher. Peyush decided to withdraw his offer given that they didn't disclose this crucial information in the beginning. According to Peyush, multiple ownership and multiple decision-makers would have led to confusion.

In this case, wrong equity distribution led to zero investment.

Which one deserved an investment on Shark Tank India according to you? Let us know in the comments.