7 months ago
Shark Tank India Boosts Startup Growth
Shark Tank India is a TV show where startups pitch their businesses to investors, called Sharks, to get funding.
But the biggest prize isn't always the money; it's the national exposure that can help startups grow faster.
For example, a cat food company called Smylo saw a big jump in followers and sales after their episode aired.
Another company, Get-A-Way Ice Cream, went from small sales to much bigger numbers.
The show also helps startups save on marketing costs because people already know about them.
However, the long-term success depends on how well the startups keep improving their products and business.
Some companies do really well, while others struggle after the initial boost.
The show has become a powerful marketing tool, helping startups reach more customers and grow their businesses.
Shark Tank India provides startups with national visibility, often more valuable than the investment.
Smylo, a cat food startup, saw a five- to six-fold increase in followers and reduced customer acquisition costs post-show.
Get-A-Way Ice Cream scaled revenue from ₹7.9 crore to ₹14.8 crore in FY24 after appearing on the show.
Zoff Foods saved ₹10-15 crore in marketing spends due to increased visibility and distribution access.
While the show offers immediate benefits, long-term success depends on sustained demand and strong unit economics.
- Who
- Startup founders and investors on Shark Tank India
- What
- The impact of TV exposure on startup growth and marketing
- Where
- India, primarily on SonyLIV
- When
- Ongoing, with examples from various seasons
- Why
- To gain national visibility, reduce customer acquisition costs, and accelerate growth
Key facts
- Smylo
- Cat food startup, ₹75 lakh investment, ₹75 crore valuation
- Let’s Try
- Snack brand, ₹12 lakh investment, ₹40 crore valuation
- Skippi Ice Pops
- FMCG brand, ₹2-2.8 crore monthly sales post-show
- Nasher Miles
- Crossed ₹80 crore revenue post-show
- Ravelcare
- Listed, 55% IPO gain for early investors
- Get-A-Way Ice Cream
- Revenue from ₹7.9 crore to ₹14.8 crore in FY24
- Zoff Foods
- ₹1 crore investment, ₹80 crore valuation, saved ₹10-15 crore in marketing
- Snitch
- Menswear brand, ₹500 crore revenue by FY25, ₹2,500 crore valuation
- Beyond Snacks
- Revenue from ₹0.6 crore to ₹52.9 crore in FY25
- TagZ Foods
- Acquired by Reliance at ₹28 crore valuation
- Wakao Foods
- Stagnated post-TV demand
- Lahori Zeera
- Sponsored season 5, 20% of annual marketing budget
Quotes
Kartikeya Gupta
Co-founder of Smylo, a direct-to-consumer cat food startup
“The brand saw a five- to six-fold jump in organic followers after the episode aired, while customer acquisition costs declined as national television exposure built instant trust with first-time buyers.”
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“To achieve the same sales volumes today, Smylo’s spending on Meta is nearly 30% lower than before the telecast, he said, adding that the impact was most visible in improved discovery and demand from Tier II and III markets.”
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Pashmi Shah Agarwal
Co-founder and chief marketing officer, Get-A-Way Ice Cream
“We were running it completely by ourselves, and it was a bootstrapped brand. Marketing spends were about 1% of the overall revenue, which is very, very minuscule for a startup.”
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“Within five minutes of the episode airing, we had a line of almost 40 riders from Zomato and Swiggy who had come to collect orders. Website traffic jumped nearly tenfold, even as the company struggled to meet demand due to limited geographic presence at the time.”
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Nikhil Doda
Co-founder of Punjabi beverage company Lahori Zeera
“It’s a big cheque, we’ve never written that big a cheque in our entire life.”
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“The overall intent was just branding. We don’t expect it to culminate into sales. The association helps fuel aspiration for the brand and positions it alongside much larger national players.”
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Himanshu Trivedi
Associate vice president at Avalon Consulting
“Shark Tank does not create a moat or a competitive advantage. What it creates is a sharp visibility spike that reduces consumer hesitation during the first purchase, but that effect typically normalizes within a year unless founders build strong repeat demand and unit economics.”
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Akash Agrawalla
CEO of Zoff Foods, a condiments and spices brand
“It is very difficult to list on quick commerce as they charge a lot for listing the products, but since we already had visibility, they approached us. The brand was also able to break into larger grocery chains like DMart and Reliance.”
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