Shark Tank India 4: Anupam Mittal calls out pitcher for underpaying employees, Aman Gupta questions leadership

On Shark Tank India 4, Anupam Mittal questioned a pitcher for paying employees below minimum wage, while Aman Gupta raised concerns about her management skills.

By Shaibalina Choudhury

Updated on Feb 13, 2025 | 11:25 PM IST | 7.7K

(PC: Sony LIV)

In today’s (February 13) episode of Shark Tank India, the first pitcher was Chokhat, founded by Prachi Bhatia in 2018. It is a Delhi-based brand on a mission to make designer home decor accessible to all. The USP of the brand is its animal- and nature-inspired designer products and its aim to make luxury home decor accessible.

The pitcher is a product designer herself and asks for 50 lakhs for 7% equity. The business started in 2018 impresses Sharks. The gifts she brings for the Sharks also earn compliments from them. While her journey, numbers, and the brand impress Sharks, Anupam Mittal asks a valid question.

After four years of running her business, she realized she needed a team. But the thought of hiring someone and then firing the person after a few months prevented her from hiring. Peyush Bansal and Aman Gupta raise the question, “Ayese toh aap kisiko kaam pe nahi rakh paoge? Aapko kya paata kab kisko hire karna, or nikalna. (You won't be able to employ anyone? How will you know whom to fire and hire?)” The pitcher admits that it is something she needs to learn.

The pitcher states that she managed her business for 4 years all alone. She shares that she hired a few resources recently. Currently, her company has two employees– one on a salary of Rs 10,000 and another on Rs 7,000. On Anupam Mittal’s question, she also reveals that her highest salaried employee earned Rs 15,000, whom she fired last month.

Hearing the numbers, Anupam states, “Ek taraf toh aap kehte ho ki you want to do the best for these people; on the other hand, you are paying these people lower than minimum wage.”

The pitcher responds, “I need a good team, and it comes at a cost. For this reason, I’m here that at least I can create one year’s salary runway for the people I hire.”

In the end, the pitcher secures a joint deal of Rs 30 lakhs for 10% equity, Rs 20 lakhs debt at 10% interest for 1 year from Anupam Mittal and Peyush Bansal.