Shark Tank: When a ‘Piyakkad’ got an ‘all shark deal’ on the show

Shark Tank India, an Indian counterpart of Shark Tank US, is one of the most talked about reality shows of late. The show that premiered on Sony Television in December of last year and ended in February this year, was well-received by audiences of all ages. Shark Tank India has become one of Indian TV's most unexpected success stories. We figure out how an ostensibly technical business show turned into a surprising success.

Several creative ideas have caught the eye of the judges' panel, which consists of seven successful entrepreneurs who are bossing the Indian business scenario. Although few of the start-up concepts and pitch decks were well received by potential investors, some were mocked. In one of the popular show's episodes, a startup founder who was pitching his business model, can be was however referred to as a "piyakkad" (drunkard).

It occurred during a pitch for Sameer and Viraj's creation of canned cocktails startup, ‘In A Can’. Peyush Bansal, co-founder of Lenskart, started the conversation by asking about their backgrounds. Viraj then began to tell us about his background, saying that he had worked in hotel management and that wine was his passion. He went on to explain how he studied wines in London and worked in industry for six years before coming to India and starting to work in the wine industry.

When Viraj abruptly ended the conversation, Shaadi.com co-founder Anupam Mittal jokes, "Toh aap end to end piyakkad ho '' (You are a total drunkard). Everyone, along with former BharatPe founder, Ashneer Grover, was left speechless. The founders had demanded Rs 50 lakh for 2 per cent equity but the sharks negotiated and made a deal of Rs 1 crore for 10 per cent equity. Even before the founders could say yes, the sharks are seen writing cheques and Ashneer says, this is a very rare thing to happen on the show. The founders give a nod to the deal.

You can watch the full episode on Sony LIV.