Shark Tank India Insights from Beast Life’s Co-Founder

Raj Gupta, one of the co-founders of the protein brand Beast Life, recently shared insights on a podcast regarding his experience on Shark Tank India. He revealed that during the pitching process, the judges, referred to as ‘sharks’, appeared to have more interest in Gaurav Taneja, known as Flying Beast, rather than the actual product being presented. This feedback highlighted a notable incident where Taneja faced significant criticism from the judges, especially Anupam Mittal, whose comments labelling Taneja as a ‘terrible’ entrepreneur have sparked significant discussion online.

Pitch Dynamics and Judge Interactions

Gupta detailed that the judges seemed to be ‘trying to mess around’ instead of concentrating on the merits of their product, which led to increased tension regarding disproportionate equity distribution. He felt compelled to reiterate the need to discuss their product, but the judges consistently redirected the conversation.

“I sensed that the ‘sharks’ were more intrigued by Gaurav than the product. I insisted that we should focus on the product, but the moment we attempted to discuss the business, the judges would divert our attention. They even encouraged conflict by highlighting issues with equity distribution,” he remarked during the podcast.

Editing and Presentation Concerns

Gupta expressed disappointment with how the final edit of the show did not include the positive feedback they received about their product. He stressed that Shark Tank India is promoted as an unscripted series, asserting that no retakes are allowed during the pitches.

“Shark Tank India is genuinely unscripted; everything occurred in real-time. Founders typically prepare for two to three days leading up to the shoot, but we had minimal practice,” he commented. Regardless of this preparation, Gupta felt the editing led to a narrative that misrepresented the strengths of their business.

Gaurav Taneja’s Experience

Gaurav Taneja voiced his concerns regarding the producers of the show, stating that edits to his segment portrayed him unfavorably. He acknowledged that his time on Shark Tank did not yield any benefits.

Taneja, alongside Gupta, pitched their protein brand in an earlier episode of Shark Tank, revealing impressive sales figures of ₹1 crore within just one hour of launching their website. They sought an investment of ₹1 crore in exchange for a 1 per cent stake in their company, aimed at expanding their offerings of easily digestible proteins.