Shark Tank India Season 5 has completed three weeks on OTT screens, and judges Namita Thapar, Aman Gupta, and Vineeta Singh have not shied away from making headlines. However, netizens were also quick to call out their arguments as they backed out of investing in offbeat brands. One such startup Sampark stirred buzz in the tank for Emcure Pharma’s Namita Thapar.
Brainchild of Bihar’s Rahul Jha and Aligarh’s Almas Rizvi, Sampark pitched QR code stickers for one’s vehicle. The sole purpose of which was to carry the driver’s contact details, which could help move wrongly parked cars or avoid emergencies. However, the idea, numbers, and the pricing did not sit right with Shark Tank judges Namita and Aman Gupta.
Reacting to their cutting remarks, a netizen on social media compared Shark Tank USA to India, which helped become brands like Scrub Daddy million-dollar brands, something as small as a utensil cleaning sponge. “She was completely out of touch. Instead of trying to understand the customer or the use case, she kept undermining the product,” the user complained in a discussion thread on Reddit.
Sampark pitch at Shark Tank India Season 5
Sampark founders Jha and Rizvi pitched their brand to Shark Tank India Season 5 judges, Namita Thapar, Aman Gupta, Kunal Bahl, and others. They sought an investment of Rs 1 crore for 2 per cent equity, placing the company’s valuation to Rs 50 crore. Already a popular practice in Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, the founders rallied for an investment from the judges.
However, it was met with a questioning stance from Thapar, as she learned that 5 lakh people already use the Sampark stickers for their vehicles. As per Jha, Smapark did a sale of Rs 3.5 crores in 25-26, in 24-25, they did a revenue of Rs 2.7 crores, in 23-24, they made Rs 1.7 crores, in 22-23, they earned Rs 36 lakhs, and in 21-22, they made Rs 3 lakhs. He also highlighted that their EBITDA has been a constant 10 per cent. With more than 1 lakh downloads for the app and a 4.2 rating from customers, Sugar Cosmetics’ Vineeta Singh seemed impressed by their product and business model.
‘Something seems wrong’ – Thapar sceptical
Reacting to the numbers, Namita Thapar became sceptical of their accuracy and remarked, “Nahi ho sakta [This is not possible]…Kuch toh gadbad hai [Something seems wrong].”
She went on to point out the harsh road rage commonly prevalent on Indian roads and the honking culture. The pharma lord said, “If I just park anywhere, that means I am not a responsible person. So why will people use the sticker? Have you seen the honking culture in India? When people are stuck in a place, and they know they won’t be able to move, they still keep honking. People are so impatient, so do you think in a culture like this, someone will put a sticker and people will call him? You think it’s practical and normal in Indian culture?”
Her doubts deepened further when Jha declared a 95 per cent gross margin with sales of Rs 36 lakhs a year. Remarking how their product was easily replicable and that they were selling a product worth Rs 30 for Rs 500, Thapar seemed puzzled as to who was actually buying the products. The grilling eventually led the pitchers to walk away without a deal.
Netizens demand Namita’s ‘bare minimum’
“The ‘shark’ role seems more about visibility and brand recall than actual business sense. If Shark Tank charged for screen time, she’d probably be the title sponsor,” read a discussion post on social media. They demanded ‘bare minimum’ from Thapar and for her to ‘listen without bias’. “No one is forcing her to invest,” the user wrote.
As another user tried to defend her profitable venture present globally, others were quick to call out her dependence on investors and added how only Shark Tank judge Kunal Bahl was the one to appreciate the idea.
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