‘As a country, we are not ready yet’: Namita Thapar tells queer pitcher on Shark Tank India 4; here’s why

In the latest episode of Shark Tank India 4, Namita Thapar praised a queer founder for his courage. Read on to find out if the pitcher secured a deal.

By Shaibalina Choudhury

Updated on Mar 15, 2025 | 12:28 PM IST | 4.8K

(PC: Sony LIV)

The latest episode of Shark Tank India 4 featured an interesting pitch by Randhir Pratap Singh, the founder of Subculture, a brand focused on fetish fashion. The panel included investors Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Aman Gupta, Kunal Bahl, and Ritesh Agarwal.

Randhir, who has traveled across India due to his family’s Army background, described himself as the “colorful sheep” of the family. He shared his journey of building Subculture and asked for Rs 50 lakh in exchange for 7% equity in his business. During the pitch, Aman Gupta noticed Randhir’s accent and asked if he had lived abroad. When Randhir replied that he had never left India, Aman curiously asked, “From where did you get the accent?” Randhir explained that his partners were not Indians. Aman followed up, “But your parents are Indians, right?”

Anupam Mittal inquired about Randhir’s family’s thoughts on his business. Randhir revealed that while they follow him on social media, they do not discuss his work. He also spoke about the challenges he faced in establishing his brand.

As part of his pitch, Randhir showcased his products and handed some to the Sharks. Aman’s reaction to receiving a flogger amused everyone. Holding the item, he asked with surprise, “What made you choose this for me?”

Namita Thapar questioned whether most of Randhir’s customers were from the queer community. Randhir confirmed that 60% of his buyers belonged to the LGBTQ+ community. Namita then shared her own experience of hosting a health podcast episode on LGBTQ issues. She recalled receiving severe trolling and hateful comments, stating, “That shows us that as a country, we are not ready yet.” She advised Randhir to focus on organic growth before seeking investment and praised him for his courage.

Despite an engaging pitch, none of the Sharks chose to invest in Subculture. However, Randhir left the Shark Tank India 4 platform with words of encouragement from the panel for his bold vision.