Shark Tank India: Luvottica founder on Anupam Mittal calling his brand ‘inspired by Kamasutra’, claims he made OYO Rooms’ Ritesh Agarwal ‘awkward’

Though Dalip did not bag any deal on the show, he exclusively spoke to Indianexpress.com defending his products as posture correction devices and not just to be used for lovemaking. He even shared how Ritesh was trying to save OYO Rooms’ image and hence was very awkward. Dalip also stated that ‘ any innovation in the past has taken time for acceptance.’

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Calling his experience electrifying, Dalip shared, “Don’t see the product for intimacy but look at it as something for posture correction. Even a bed was invented at some point till then we slept on the floor. If you see it as modern times, I am a visionary for the future, this product will have a lot of scope then.”

Commenting on the awkwardness of Sharks, Dalip said, “The Sharks did get awkward since it was a TV show that caters to a certain audience. The Sharks have a personal image so getting awkward is very normal. But in our Indian society, this is a stigma that no one is openly talking about. Everybody wants a product that promotes wellness, the acceptance is coming slowly. Families are buying this which means there is a market for this product which is growing.”

During his pitch, Dalip specifically told Ritesh that there is a lot of scope for this furniture in the hotel and resort industry. Commenting on Ritesh’s reaction, Dalip said, “When the pitch was on his approach was very awkward. Ritesh has been in the business of OYO rooms since 2011, he made the business so big, but we all know that OYO has an image of couples using it. As far as business dignity is concerned, I believe Ritesh didn’t show too much interest in this. I have seen for some time Ritesh is trying to present OYO and himself in a different light. But we all know that in the hotel industry and at honeymoon destinations, couples are seeking some lavish and different kinds of experiences.”

Anupam had grilled Dalip during the pitch by saying that with these products, he would break families. Reacting to this feedback, Dalip said that while Anupam lauded the quality of his product, his remarks were in jest. “Anupam gave such a good review about the product. The yoga and sexual wellness industry is huge and it is growing every year. Anupam’s statements were all in fun. If there is a sofa kept in our house, and relatives visit, how is it breaking homes? There is no awkward feeling. His suggestions were great.”

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Dalip also shared that the traffic on his website has grown 10x, while orders for yoga, as well as sexual furniture, have increased by 5x. Adding to this he said, “We are getting many inquiries for business collaboration. So Shark Tank India made us popular.”

On a parting note, Dalip added, “I did feel bad at the moment, but if with the investment the acceptance of the idea would have come, it would have been great.”