The fourth season of Shark Tank India returned with a bang, and its latest episode featured a heated clash between Vineeta Singh and two sibling entrepreneurs, Aditi and Ashish Jawa. The duo showcased their skincare brand, Personal Touch, claiming it had seen meteoric success. Their pitch, however, soon unraveled under the scrutiny of the sharks, exposing cracks in their story.
The Jawas opened with an ambitious valuation of Rs 120 crore, seeking Rs 1.2 crore for a 1% equity stake. While their numbers were impressive on the surface like revenue jumping from Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 20 crore in just a year which left Vineeta questioning their authenticity. Her skepticism was clear when she remarked, “Something doesn’t add up.”
The entrepreneurs revealed their journey, admitting to past business failures, including a short-lived pharmaceutical venture. However, their skincare brand seemed to have struck a chord, even managing to rake in Rs 2.7 crore from a concert featuring B Praak. Despite these achievements, doubts surfaced when the sharks delved deeper into their data.
One major red flag was their social media metrics. The entrepreneurs proudly displayed a reel that had garnered two million views but only 700 likes. Vineeta and Aman immediately flagged the inconsistency, suspecting the reel was boosted. Azhar Iqubal dismissed their defense outright, insisting that such results were unrealistic without manipulation. The Jawas denied any foul play, but the doubts persisted.
Azhar then probed their marketing strategy, asking for a breakdown of organic sales versus paid promotions. The siblings fumbled for an answer, offering no concrete data. This lack of preparation shocked Kunal Bahl, who struggled to understand how a company with such high aspirations could fail to track critical marketing metrics. Aman Gupta echoed this disappointment, stating, “I’m deeply let down that you’re unaware of these details.”
As the conversation progressed, the tension between the pitchers and sharks escalated. Ritesh Agarwal offered to meet the siblings later to provide guidance, but he and the others pulled out of the deal. Vineeta, however, took a more critical stance, pointing out inconsistencies in their business model and pricing strategy.
One of her sharpest observations came when she questioned the production costs of their products. Charging Rs 2000 for items that should cost less than Rs 200 didn’t sit well with her. Suggesting a possible family conflict, she remarked that their cousin, who manufactured the products, might be overcharging them. “Your cousin could be cheating you,” she speculated bluntly.
When the Jawas tried to counter her skepticism by offering a glimpse of their Shopify dashboard, Vineeta remained unconvinced. They explained their “drop model,” a strategy designed to create anticipation among customers by launching new products on specific days. However, Vineeta dismissed this justification, arguing that customers wouldn’t wait months just to shop on a single day. She suspected the sales spikes were artificially inflated, possibly through phone orders or other offline methods.
Despite their best efforts to defend their business practices, the Jawas failed to convince the sharks. Their claims of 100% sales growth raised eyebrows, with Vineeta emphasizing that such growth patterns were unheard of in genuine online businesses. “This doesn’t feel right,” she concluded, reinforcing her doubts about the numbers.
The sharks’ reactions ranged from disappointment to outright disbelief. Kunal and Azhar, who initially seemed open to the idea, withdrew after uncovering the discrepancies. Aman, visibly frustrated, made it clear he couldn’t support a venture with such glaring gaps in transparency. Ritesh, though offering advice, didn’t see enough potential to invest.
In the end, Aditi and Ashish left the tank without a deal. Their confidence in their brand and aggressive valuation failed to outweigh the questions about their credibility. The episode highlighted the importance of transparency and preparation when presenting a business, particularly when seeking investment from experienced entrepreneurs.