‘333x return in 4 years’: Aman Gupta made Rs 40 cr from Rs 12 lakh investment in Rs 324 cr Shark Tank India bhujia brand

How did Aman Gupta make Rs 40 crore from a Rs 12 lakh investment?

Speaking on Republic World about his investment in Let’s Try and how no other Shark was able to see the potential in the company, he said, “In the last five years, the best company has been Let’s Try. I invested in them in season one. Nobody else invested with me. They make chips, bhujia. All the Excel sheet investors said it can’t make it. Everybody said ‘there are so many big companies in this sector, how big a company can you make in this competition?’ But the founder (Nitin Vinod Kalra) is an outstanding guy. I invested Rs 12 lakh in the company, and that has now converted to Rs 40 crore. I recently got a purchase opportunity of Rs 40 crore.” He added, “It is the best investment in the history of Shark Tank India.”

When asked how he made the call to invest in the business that came to Shark Tank India at a nascent stage, Aman said, “Bande mein dam tha. I knew he will do something. He had that aag (fire).”

Also Read: Mira Kapoor’s business empire: Backing Rs 960 cr brand, fellow investor with Jennifer Lopez and building an ‘ecosystem of wellness’

How was Let’s Try’s pitch on Shark Tank India?

The snack brand came to Shark Tank India Season 1 when it was just six to seven months old. They shared that the company’s growth had been strong since they started, earning Rs 16 lakh from sales in just a five-month period. They asked for Rs 45 lakh in exchange for 2 percent equity. They also stated that though their products are priced 15% higher than major snack brands like Haldiram’s, within seven months they were able to give stiff competition to others.

While their pitch was convincing, Ashneer Grover and Namita Thapar opted out of investing in the company, with Namita pointing out that the brand’s products are fried despite being positioned as healthy. Meanwhile, Aman Gupta and Anupam Mittal were interested in investing, but they decided to invest together in the company, demanding more stock. The pitch ended with both Aman and Anupam jointly investing Rs 45 lakh in the company for 12% equity.

However, after the company’s due diligence was completed post-show, Anupam stepped out of the investment, and only Aman invested in the company. During the interview, he stated that he invested Rs 12 lakh for 7-8% of the company.

Let’s Try valuation

According to reports, Let’s Try’s valuation has increased 50x since Season 1. The company is currently valued at Rs 324 crore, a significant leap from the Rs 3.75 crore valuation at the time of its appearance on Shark Tank India in 2009.