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Airth co-founder shares insights into the Shark Tank India selection process: ‘Founders don’t have to pay any money…’

In an exclusive interview, the founder of Airth, Ravi Kaushik explains how the selection process for Shark Tank India works.

Shark Tank India 4 pitcher Ravi Kaushik praises Vineeta Singh and Aman GuptaShark Tank India 4 pitcher Ravi Kaushik praises Shark Tank India's team, Vineeta Singh and Aman Gupta (Photo: SonyLiv)

Shark Tank India Season 4 has been making headlines, not just for its judges but also for its interesting pitches. One pitch that stood out was from Airth, presented by Bihar-based entrepreneurs Ravi Kaushik and Abhimanyu Kumar. They introduced innovative air purifiers designed for ACs and secured a two-shark deal with Vineeta Singh and Aman Gupta. In an exclusive interview with SCREEN, Kaushik opened up about his experience on Shark Tank India and the proactive approach of the ‘sharks’ after the episode.

Sharing why he turned down Anupam Mittal’s offer and went ahead with Aman and Vineeta, Ravi shared, “I was more keen on a deal with Aman and Vineeta because their valuation was better. Also, overall, I have seen Aman and Vineeta playing important roles in the D2C market. So, we felt they could give us a better idea and help us with the right connections. Hence, we went ahead with their two-shark deal.”

He added, “I was very nervous while negotiating with the sharks, but I was confident that I could earn the money and give them. Plus we were confident about our product and business. Ultimately, they are also founders, and they know that equity is the most expensive thing a founder can part ways with. Aman also came and hugged me. He was exhausted after our pitch, but they liked how we fought for equity.”

 

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Also Read: Shark Tank India 4 judge Viraj Bahl reveals why deals fizzle out after the show: ‘Sometimes founders are there just for the marketing’

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Ravi Kaushik revealed things progressed quickly after the episode. He said, “We have met them. Aman’s team reached out. We met Vineeta also recently in Mumbai. I was never expecting things to roll out so soon. I had heard that they proceed with the deals once the season gets over, but they have been quite proactive.” Ravi went on to laud the Shark Tank India team for being very supportive. “Our experience with the entire Shark Tank India team has been great. The way they prepared us on how to pitch. Seeing how a set works was very nice. They took care of travel, accommodations, everything. We reached the hotel at midnight after our shoot and they still arranged for food for us.”

Ravi also gave an insight into how the selection process works. “The team is very supportive. We just spend on our clothes. All other expenses are taken care of by the Shark Tank India team. Founders don’t have to pay any money to be on the show. The selection process takes around 4 months from the time you apply to get selected. There are two forms to fill out, then we are called for an interview, and then the selection happens. They receive lakhs of pitches, but only 180 to 200 pitches are selected, and only 150 pitches are aired,” he said.

Talking about the growth his business has witnessed after appearing on Shark Tank India, Ravi said, “The biggest advantage for us has been that we have been getting lots of requests from all over the world. Our episode is being telecast outside the country as well. We had received less than 50 requests to become channel partners over two years before going on the show, but within 3 days after the episode, we got more than 100 requests from people to be channel partners. Our sales have gone up by 5x.”

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Ravi Kaushik and Abhimanyu Kumar struck a deal with Vineeta Singh and Aman Gupta, securing ₹96 lakh for a 4% equity stake.

Nawaz Kochra is an enthusiastic entertainment journalistic for the last 9 years, he has been a known face and successfully worked with some big publications. At IndianExpress.com, Nawaz majorly covers TV and OTT and also does video interviews. Having the best conversations with celebrities is what Nawaz loves. ... Read More

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