Shark Tank India Season 5: The latest episode of Shark Tank India Season 5 took a spiritual turn when founder Manish Kumar Mailk, a physics tutor who pioneered alternative science, shared his dream. What started as an ambition to create an aeroplane using just ancient Indian principles turned into a dynamic gaming arcade business. In its nascent stages, a Shark Tank India judge called him ‘India’s Da Vinci’.
Founders Manish, Suraj and Chaitanya pitched their brand ‘Metadrive’ to Shark Tank India judges, a motion-based driving platform. Mimicking the conditions of driving on the road, the startup innovated simulations which allowed the user to drive across locations and terrain. Giving everyday customers the feel of a driving simulation in an arcade, their company also specialises in their product for driving experiences, pilots, and more.
Metadrive’s pitch for Shark Tank India
A father-son duo and an investor came together to make ‘Metadrive’. Manish, jokingly described as the ‘Tony Stark‘ by his son, is the brains behind the project. A pioneer in physics and engineering, he designed this simulation hardware and launched it in May 2025. Suraj, who used to appear on ‘Horse’s Stable’, had many ventures he had invested in. Later, he joined Metadrive as a co-founder. They sought Rs 90 lakh for 1 per cent equity with a valuation of Rs 90 crore.
However, explaining the source of funding, the pitchers fumbled. As they were unable to transparently put their point across, they were questioned by the sharks. Anupam Mittal condemned them for their statements. ‘I cannot reveal the name,’ which recurred several times throughout their monologue. In fact, Mittal explained, “Mai yeh bahut fantastic lag rha hai [I find this really fantastic]. Going from space to gaming arcade – It’s not making sense to me why you don’t want to capture global demand,” responding to their disinterest towards exporting their low-cost technology at a better margin to global players. He faced that as the biggest reason to back out. He added, “Finally, I also don’t like the whole mistrust, to be honest. For everything you say, ‘I can’t tell you the name,’ that’s not what I’m going to invest in.”
This came after the three pitchers revealed that they had signed an NDA with their partners, including manufacturers and other investors.
Sharks back out
Similarly, boAt’s Aman Gupta cited similar reasons for his disinterest. He praised the experience he had while playing a racing demonstration and praised Manish’s expertise. “Jo aapne financial engineering kardi hai apne structures ki, woh thodi confusing hai. Mujhe clean structures zyada ache lagte hai. [The financial engineering that you have done is a bit confusing. I prefer a clean structure],” as he pointed out the lack of transparency in their pitch.
In fact, he pointed out a potential rise in virtual gaming, if at all, and less in hardware-based technology. Expressing a similar concern, Mohit Yadav could not spot conviction in the team to scale beyond arcades, as they were also trying to hit other goals with B2B sales, and training simulation models for airlines and drivers.
