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Siblings Aditi and Ashish Jawa pitched their skincare brand on Shark Tank India for Rs 1.2 crore for 1% equity. They faced criticism and defended themselves on a podcast.
Vineeta Singh serves as a judge on Shark Tank India.
In January, siblings Aditi and Ashish Jawa introduced their skincare venture, Personal Touch, on Shark Tank India, seeking an investment of Rs 1.2 crore for a 1% equity stake. However, the pitch took a negative turn, marred by severe criticism, including accusations of inflating sales figures. Vineeta Singh notably commented that ‘daal mein kuch kaala hai,’ indicating her distrust in the authenticity of their claims.
Subsequent to the airing of the episode, the Jawa siblings shared their side of the story on a podcast hosted by Ayushman Pandita. Ashish recounted the mounting tension when their sales figures came under scrutiny. He stated, “When questions about our sales were raised, I felt compelled to prove our credibility. That’s why I insisted on showing our Shopify dashboard to Vineeta Singh and the other sharks to confirm our numbers were accurate.”
He described the disorienting experience of being immediately confronted with cameras, explaining, “We were made to wait for an hour before entering, unaware that we’d be filmed in that moment. When we entered the stage, cameras were thrust in our faces, and we were asked to present our Shopify data. It’s a nerve-wracking environment, especially when you have built a Rs 35 crore business, and suddenly you’re accused of dishonesty. We merely aimed to demonstrate our integrity.”
Addressing the situation further, Aditi pointed out how quickly assumptions were made by the judges. “In such a heated scenario, it’s unrealistic for everyone to stop and analyze the dashboard thoroughly. Vineeta jumped to conclusions and criticized our startup without full context,” she explained. Ashish added, “They alleged that our daily figures were actually our monthly ones, significantly altering the narrative. While it’s their right to invest as they choose, it feels unjust to undermine us without substantial evidence.”
Visibly emotional, Aditi expressed the weight of their experience, stating, “Just imagine being criticized after dedicating two years, working 20-hour days, to build a business worth Rs 35 crore. We continuously insisted that our sales figures were genuine, but…”
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