[theme music playing]
[theme music continues]
[theme music fading]
- Hello, Sharks. - Hello, Sharks.
Hello.
- I am Anitha. - I'm Divyaraj.
Approximately 10 crore farmers in India
make a living from farming on land that is under 5 acres.
True.
And as they don't own huge pieces of land,
these farmers cannot buy tractors.
That's why they rent tractors.
And that takes up more than 60% of their earnings.
Sharks, even the agricultural sector has seen many innovations.
But this innovation is only for large-scale farmers.
- Small-scale farmers can't afford it. - True.
So, Sharks, to solve this problem,
we have invented India's smallest and most economical tractor.
[upbeat music playing]
- Wow! - Amazing.
Geeani.
If I were to talk about its compactness,
it has been specially designed
And most importantly,
this tractor can be easily used even for intercropping.
[music playing]
after one video went viral.
Define viral. How many people watched your video?
Over 1 lakh people, particularly farmers.
We uploaded it specifically on a channel meant for farmers.
[upbeat music playing]
- Wow! - Wow!
We're completely ready to launch Geeani now.
And what better platform
for a launch than Shark Tank India itself?
That's right.
Divyaraj, Prajal and Anitha,
Plus, we teach physics and maths to diploma and engineering students.
We also help with GNEET preparation.
By "we", do you mean all three?
- No, us. - We both.
He's my childhood friend.
And you two?
Erm, I don't have a mother as well as a father.
- Sorry to hear this. - Sorry to hear that.
My father divorced my mother when I was 2.5 years old.
And my mother passed away recently in 2013.
At that time,
there was no one from my paternal and maternal families.
She was the only one.
- So, she... - How old were you when this happened?
18 years.
[sentimental music playing]
The fact that I'm here and able to speak confidently
is just because of her.
[sentimental music playing]
I am from Kerala.
I was brought here after marriage.
Here means Ahmedabad.
- Yes, Ahmedabad. - Okay.
My husband is in Saudi Arabia.
- I have two sons. - I used to live with them. - Okay.
I used to wonder why I came so far away.
- Oh. - It used to sadden me.
Now, in these ten years, I have come to realise
that there was a reason why I came here.
- And the reason is him. - [unanimous laughter]
He's family now.
We sent him to pursue engineering.
He dropped out midway after two years.
He made a wheelless generator after that.
Then he built a scooter.
He did all the electrical in a motor scooter.
My entire family supported him in all his endeavours.
Anitha, this is for all the teachers like you.
I salute you.
Thank you.
- I salute you. - People don't have time for loved ones.
You accepted an outsider as your own.
Fantastic!
[uplifting music playing]
Prajal, how do you feel now?
How does making an innovation and coming here make you feel?
I have already made it here. Now, I want to make it there.
- [Sharks laugh] - Amazing.
- Well said. - I want to become one of you.
You will become one of us.
Hang on. I have a small question.
Can you tell us what the name means? Is it Gee ani? What's AG?
- It's Geeani. - Geeani.
Most people call it Gee ani.
But it's spelled as Geeani.
The first three letters are taken from Geeta, my mother's name.
And the last three letters of her name, Anitha.
- Whoa! - Wow!
- And AG is Anitha and Geeta. Oh! - Yes.
- How sweet! - Wow!
- Sir, he's an automobile engineer. - I'm an automobile engineer.
- Wow! - Ah!
- Yay! - I'll tell you what happened.
We got so engrossed in your story,
we forgot to ask about Divyaraj!
[Sharks laugh]
Sir, I spent two years as an automobile engineer.
I spent a year with GVK EMRI.
And then I worked with BRTS,
bus rapid transit system, as a service engineer.
- Yes, Delhi has it too. - Alright.
- Yes, ma'am. Can we give you a demo and tell you the features? - Yes.
[upbeat music playing]
Sir, as I mentioned,
traditional diesel tractors...
They are 7 to 9 feet in width.
- Yes. - Whereas our tractor is...
it is not possible with traditional tractors.
They will damage the crops and can't pass between the trees.
True.
How much does a traditional tractor weigh?
- About 1.5 to 1.9 tonnes. - Okay.
So, you are saying
that this hasn't occurred to anyone before you
to build a small tractor with small tyres.
Yes, sir. Small-size tractors are available in the market.
But we've made it extremely compact
and taken inputs and key points from the farmers themselves.
No one has done that.
Okay. What is the price difference between a normal tractor
and your tractor?
If we look at the same category,
[intense music playing]
A diesel tractor consumes fuel worth Rs. 150 to 200 in an hour.
- This runs for 6 to 8 hours in Rs. 100. - Almost 6x.
6 to 8 hours. That means eight times more efficient than...
But that will give more horsepower. A tractor must be powerful.
- Will this generate enough power? - Yes, sir.
- May AG drive the AG Tractor? - Certainly.
I'm coming too.
Everyone, hop on!
[chuckles]
Get in the back.
Let's go.
- [Aman sings] - Whoa!
[Sharks sing in unison]
[Sharks sing]
[Aman vocalising]
- [tractor horn honks] - Yes! Oh my God!
- Here we come... - O, farmers!
- Silly! - Hop on, everyone!
Where's the brake? Oh, no!
[Sharks laugh]
Anupam will drive now.
Watch your back!
- Keep going. - Hey!
- No! - It'll get damaged!
- I'll park it. - Come on.
Alright.
- I enjoyed it. - Wow!
- I liked it. - Great. Very good.
The tractor is amazing.
Thank you.
The driving experience was good. The ride was smooth and clean.
The manoeuvrability was great
- as though... - Ask those who sat behind how smooth it was!
You were all over the place!
- You drove like a Delhiite! - You...
Humph!
Have you tested it?
How much distance will it cover?
- If someone... - We tested it for 8 months
That's why it will last longer and maintenance will be very low.
Will it last a few years?
Yes. Absolutely, sir.
Okay. I have a question.
The cost-effectiveness will be maintained.
- Okay. - By the time they achieve compactness,
we'd have captured the market or at least, entered the market and..
- We... - I got it.
Can you give me the unit economics?
What is the making cost and...
But as we start manufacturing 100 units per month,
the cost can go down to Rs. 3 lakhs.
The vendors we've spoken to want...
A minimum order size.
That way our margin can increase and the cost can go down.
What is the cost of this 10 kW battery?
We currently buy from a vendor in Haryana
who imports A-grade batteries from China.
Yes.
to set up manufacturing.
And only when you mass produce
will you gain traction in the market.
Yes. The factory we're associated with
can manufacture at least 100 units a month.
- It's not your factory. - It's outsourced. - Yes, on rent.
- Okay. - We outsource the materials.
- We get them made in Rajkot... - Assemble.
We then assemble the parts and sell the product.
Based on the enquiries,
how many conversions do you think you will get?
Those people were forcing us
to take an advance payment
and give them the tractor at the earliest
as it was season time.
They need such a product.
How is the equity divided?
- Very good. - He joined us later on.
So, how much money have the family and you all invested in total?
- It's all her savings. - Gold.
Was all of it your savings?
Savings and gold.
Their conviction stands firm if they've invested their gold.
- It's a big deal. - You have implicit faith
in Prajal's abilities.
Okay, I'll make you an offer.
Wow!
- You've done some solid work. - Hmm.
You can make it big.
I know nothing about this industry.
But if you need my help, I will help you connect the dots.
You have AG in your brand name.
My initials are AG!
I will give you what you asked for.
I'd like to make you a collective offer without asking them.
I believe that if you want to grow this,
you'll need more funds.
We'll have to build this together.
You'll need the help of everybody here.
You can take Rs. 1 crore.
Give us 10% equity.
Your valuation remains unchanged and you get more money.
- Yes. - If the other Sharks agree, you get all the Sharks on board.
[intense music playing]
Yes. We can do this. Come on!
I wish to make an individual offer.
- I thought so. - Gosh!
I knew it.
Your product is good
and I believe I can be of immense help to you.
We run a website for cars, bikes and trucks.
We also deal in tractors. You can sell your tractors there.
So, as far as connections for sourcing the battery goes,
we have our supply chain for it sorted.
I'd like to give you Rs. 1.5 crores for this project.
You will need the capital for production.
You need to raise a lot of capital in future.
I personally think
- that this is a capital-intensive industry. - I agree.
I can't pitch in that much.
So, I am out of this deal.
Okay. Thank you.
You have two offers.
One is Amit Jain's offer who wishes to go solo.
- The other offer is from AG, AGM and VS. - VS.
Us three.
We'll offer you Rs. 1 crore for 10% equity.
Please step outside and discuss this.
- Then come back here. - No! Just wait!
Go on, please decide.
Prajal, hang on. Before you do, please think
about which Shark can actually help you grow this business.
Don't take the wrong decision.
Yes, don't take the wrong decision. Alright?
Yes, and don't part with 20% equity come what may.
- May we discuss this, please? - Sure.
It's an important decision. Think it through.
Yes, think it through.
[intense music playing]
Vineeta, don't draw the cheque. The deal isn't confirmed.
- Okay, I'll draw the cheque. - I'll counter it.
- You won't get it! - I won't! We'll see!
Come on. Bring it on!
- I will match their requirement. - Bring it on!
- I'll match their requirement. - Bring it on!
Come on! Hurry!
[shrieks]
- Welcome. - Give them the cheque.
- Hurry, guys. - Come on.
Welcome. Welcome back. We welcome you.
[tense music playing]
- We have a counteroffer. - What!
- Huh! - You didn't want...
You're being greedy now!
You got a better deal than what you had asked for.
We accept Rs. 1 crore for 10% equity.
and then there's my offer of Rs. 1 crore for 10% equity.
I'm from the industry and I'm willing to help you.
- No, we... - A car and tractor are two different things.
I'll give you what you want. Deal?
[intense music playing]
Aman, Anupam and Vineeta, we accept your deal.
- Alright. - You two, join us, please.
- No, if you call them... - No.
- He likes to fight. - [laughs]
- Good luck. - Thank you.
Please get in touch if I can be of any help at all.
You won't need his help.
Good job.
Aman, dance like a snake.
Very good. You've done a fantastic job.
- Thank you. - Very good.
- All the best. - Thank you.
- Thank you.
I wanted the deal
because I could really help their business grow.
I don't know what you'll do.
- I wish you... - I'll tell you.
Even we can do everything that he just said.
- Yes! - [Sharks laugh]
[upbeat music playing]
[Le belle parole plays]
I like that move.
- Whoa! - That was very nice! Very nice!
[Anupam laughs]
Greetings, Sharks.
- Greetings. - Greetings.
My name is Yasser. I've come from America.
But I live in Mumbai right now.
Oh, wow!
But I live in Italy.
Wow!
The one thing that Italians love is their gelato!
We introduced this love of the Italians,
the gelato, to Mumbai for the first time
with Amore Gelato.
[music playing]
It's made of natural flavours.
we make vegan gelato.
Hey! I'm worried that you're addressing me as Aman!
- Sorry, Anupam! - [laughs]
I'm extremely nervous.
- No problem. - Anupam, vegan gelato for you.
Our business is B2B.
Which means we supply to restaurants, hotels and cafés.
But our focus is to scale the pre-packaged business digitally.
Our mission is to make this sweet Italian ice cream
affordable to every Indian.
- Yes... - Has anyone told you that you resemble Jalal Agha?
Yes, he's my maternal uncle.
Jalal Agha is your maternal uncle!
Yes, he's my mother's brother.
- Really? - Yes.
[laughs]
Don't you see this nose?
- I do, that's why I asked you. - [laughs]
Look, my mother lived in Mumbai.
- Okay. Is your mom Indian? - Okay?
- Yes, both parents. - Okay.
My father is from Hyderabad.
I was born in America.
I lived there until I was 24.
How did you two meet and where do you currently reside?
I used to do social work in India.
I was fundraising in Chicago one time
and that's where we met.
Nayyer said, "India needs good ice cream."
And my eyes widened!
I used to work at the university's ice cream parlour.
It's my passion.
I'd like to add one thing.
My wife is Italian.
- Ah! - Oh, nice!
- Her name is Christina. - Oh, wow!
When we were leaving for India,
my wife Christina said,
"You get pasta there."
"You also get pizza."
"But there's no gelato!"
So, Christina said,
"Look. You're going to India."
"At least take the best gelato there."
So, this was the beginning of the journey.
- I see it says here "since 1960". - Ah!
- After 60 years... - Yes?
Did it dawn upon you
that you had to raise funding? What exactly happened?
We know this is not our expertise.
That's why we collaborated
with an award-winning Italian gelato maker chef.
This gelato chef resided in our neighbourhood.
- He's famous in Italy! - In Italy!
We told Costanzo,
"Are you ready for an adventure?"
[mimics Costanzo]
- "Okay." - How sweet!
"Well!"
Your expressions are cute.
[music playing]
My English isn't fluent and you're conversing in Italian!
[unanimous laughter]
You have an opportunity to practice
because our prize-winning Italian gelato chef Costanzo
will be coming here for the tasting.
- He's here! - Yes.
Call him in without further delay.
Costanzo!
[Sharks laugh]
Costanzo!
- Rakiesh, bring Costanzo. - Whoa!
Ciao.
My name is Costanzo.
Costanzo established his shop in the year 1960.
Can I ask you a question?
- All these are gelatos, right? - Yes.
- Are they good in taste? - Absolutely.
- Can we try them? - Absolutely.
- Yes. - I was about to call you, sir.
Let's go.
- Anupam, there are five vegan flavours for you. - Oh my God!
- And one to... - [chattering]
Mamma mia! Thank you.
Yummy! Love it!
I had the sorbet.
You know? This has been made just for you.
So, you have to finish it.
I wish to serve ice cream with Costanzo.
- It's very nice. - Which one do you want to try?
- I want vanilla cinnamon. - Want to try, sir?
- Namita, vanilla cinnamon for you. - Thank you, Anupam.
Which one is this?
That's vegan banoffee.
This is so good!
[uplifting music playing]
- Thank you. - Thank you.
I appreciate it.
[uplifting music playing]
Costanzo and Rakiesh, thank you, it was amazing!
Thank you so much.
Gelato is made from milk.
And sorbetto is made from water.
Sorbetto is 100% fat-free.
Ice cream contains a lot of fat.
It contains more cream and less milk.
Gelato contains less cream and more milk.
It has lower fat than ice cream.
It's dense and not fluffy.
Ice cream has more air.
- Yes! - This doesn't. I agree.
When did you start this business?
We started it in India in 2006.
Gelato didn't really gain popularity in India.
You are right. Gelato and ice cream are the same.
Correct.
This is a premium ice cream.
Our vision is
to make this affordable luxury available to everyone.
What's the price of the scoop of gelato that we just had?
- you'll get a normal ice cream for Rs. 120. - Yes.
People don't care about it.
So, price-wise, yours isn't at all premium.
[intense music playing]
Do you think
the demand will rise if you rebrand it as Italian ice cream
versus the current gelato?
It's a point to consider.
Yes, it's a good point.
How many parlours do you currently have?
During covid, our sales dropped by 95%.
Sharks, 9 months our kitchens were closed.
And we were faced with a simple choice.
Close or transform.
Our 12 employees, or should I say superheroes,
forwent their salaries
- but urged us to not shut Amore down. - Wow!
Got it.
What are this month's sales?
- and gelato stores? - Yes.
Rs. 5 lakhs from dark stores.
- And Rs. 30 lakhs still comes from traditional business. - Yes.
- We do contract manufacturing... - Oh! From B2B!
I'm still trying to understand why you can't grow.
I'll tell you why. It's because people don't care.
They want ice cream, gelato or no gelato.
That's what I'm saying.
What were your annual sales before covid set in?
The prime business is B2B
which is white-label, without the brand.
Amore's business is only Rs. 5 lakhs a month
and that too, in the pre-packaged form.
It's too early to figure out the product market fit
and what the exact price is.
Whether it's Rs. 60 or 150.
As an investor, I won't be able to come on board as of now.
But I really hope that you're able
to deliver this Italian delight to every household in India.
Thank you.
Even before covid, the business could not scale up.
Sales were Rs. 50 lakhs a month.
That's Rs. 6 crores.
I think you're pursuing it as it's a passion.
I don't see the business happening.
So, I am out. Thank you.
This category per se,
whether it's burrata or gelato,
or macaroons, basically the mass premium category,
will grow in size as a TAM.
But for it to get a scale,
it's going to be a slow process.
It's a patient long-term journey
which I will not be able to be a part of. So, I am out.
- Thank you. - Thank you.
Pre-Covid you earned
Rs. 6 crores with your business.
For the two of you, that isn't enough to run your household.
You said that you are married.
Can you explain how you are bearing your personal expenses?
I'm working as a guide and a co-founder.
I'm a co-founder and director
in four more businesses.
My businesses are in England, India and Italy.
So you run the business primarily.
What is your equity?
I think you need somebody
who can help you understand Indian consumers well.
for a business of this size
and expect them to grow your business.
[tense music]
And the second problem is,
you are earning just Rs. 5 lakhs per month right now.
It means Rs. 60 lakhs per year.
I'm not counting your other businesses.
The only business that matters is this business.
You are at Rs. 60 lakhs run rate, my friend.
It means I can't value you more than a couple of crores.
No matter what offer I give you, it won't make sense.
For this reason, I'm out.
[thrilling music]
- In this business? - Yes!
- Do it! - Let's do it!
- Do we have a deal? - Yes, we have a deal.
- Absolutely! - We have a deal.
That's right!
- We're happy to have a Shark with us. - Do you know what I just did?
I made you an offer you can't refuse!
[laughing]
Now he is sounding like the Godfather.
I didn't think it was going to happen
- but I'm glad it did. - Oh my God!
At least I get a lifetime of ice-creams.
- Do you remember the conditions? - Absolutely! We know.
Anupam, glad to have you on board.
- 'Grazie bello!' - Thank you!
Thank you!
Amazing! Amazing! Amazing!
'Gourmet Gelato Company Pvt Ltd.'
- Wow! - We'll make you proud.
Alright!
'Wow!'
I think that was a good deal.
- Rs. 10 crores of sales a year. - Yes!
Very happy!
We are going to deliver.
[sweeping music]
[ethereal music]
Sharks, do you remember the happy moments of our childhood?
Stealing flowers from a nearby garden.
Playing with Touch-me-not plants.
Wow!
Blowing the dandelion seeds away.
Or just laying down on the green grass and staring at the sky.
We wished to catch those moments.
If I tell you
that we can give you an experience of blissful nature
and you may keep it safe with you,
and enhance your appearance too.
[sweeping music]
It's India's first floral jewellery brand.
LeafyAffair preserves real flowers, leaves
and seeds,
and turns them into beautiful jewellery.
[inspirational music]
Floral jewellery is also known as botanical jewellery.
Botanical jewellery is a new concept
Our vision is to become
the biggest botanical lifestyle brand.
So, Sharks, I'm here to seek an investment of Rs. 50 lakhs
An affair with nature that even your partners will approve of.
- Is the pendant you're wearing contains flower? - Yes!
It's a real rose.
We preserved it and then designed it.
Okay. I really like what you're wearing.
- Thank you! - The ensemble of trainers, the suit and the rose.
Let's talk about your business.
But first, I want to know
- if you studied something. - Yes!
Yes? [chuckling]
- I pursued BSc and MSc in biotechnology. - Alright.
Later on, I pursued MBA
- from Symbiosis through distance learning. - Nice.
Please tell us about your connection with nature.
And why do you have that connection?
I love plants and animals since childhood.
My mom used to do gardening.
When I was a child, somebody told me
that tech will take over the world in future.
[thrilling music]
As a young girl
I imagined
that the world would be full of robots without trees and flowers.
- Ouch! - Oh!
I didn't like it
so I decided
not to become an engineer
and I wanted to do something in bio.
In which year did you start?
I got an idea in 2016.
Can I show you the products?
- Yes, sure! Please! - Sure! That will be great.
[ethereal music]
Thank you!
The packaging is beautiful. Loved it!
[ethereal music]
It's nice. Vineeta, look!
- Wow! - '- Very pretty!'
It's stunning. What's this?
It's a dandelion. The one we blow at.
- I get it. So it's a paperweight. - It's a paperweight.
Wonderful!
Do you have jewellery for men too?
- Yes, sir! - Which one?
Wow! She's ready.
This necklace was worn by Ranveer Singh.
Is that so? What are the other items?
[motivational music]
Supriya, look! "Mogambo is impressed."
You look superb.
Oh, wow!
Show me yours.
- How is it? - Gang Starr!
Gang Starr!
- What's the price of the necklace? - The sunflower is for Rs. 1,500.
The paperweight has the highest MRP of Rs. 3,500.
It isn't silver-plated, right?
- It's ordinary metal. - No. It's artificial metal. Yes!
Isn't it expensive for ordinary metal?
The metal isn't expensive
but it contains a real flower which is unique.
Flowers aren't expensive. They are cheap.
I'm talking about the preservation process.
Basically, we get rid of its moisture
and we preserve its colour and form.
We used to preserve flowers in books
- during school days and then we gave them to girls. - Correct!
That is called pressing.
- It seems you gave too many flowers. - Too many!
It's called pressing.
When we want to preserve flowers in a 2-D form,
we do pressing.
And to preserve something in a 3-D form, like the paperweight,
we use silica gel
to get rid of the moisture
and then we design them with resin.
It's too beautiful.
Generally, people buy them for personal use or to gift others.
Mostly they buy them for gifting
and additionally,
every flower has a story.
For example, the Forget-me-not flower.
A French knight gifted that flower to the princess
at his last breath.
- He said, "forget me not". - Wow!
- Um, we are working on it, actually. - You're working on it.
[dramatic music]
What are your sales figures?
Last year, we made a sale of Rs. 1.10 crores.
- or corporate gifting too? - It's directly to the consumer.
Fully bootstrapped. What's your profit?
- and stationery... - Forget about the stationery. What is your repeat?
Yes!
We are aware and we're working on that
because we aren't doing retention marketing.
We must have more SKUs in a fashion brand
they'll start a different line of LeafyAffair.
- Actually... - Her point is valid
that it's easy to copy.
It's easy to copy. Yes!
[adventurous music]
We are the experts
in the botanical jewellery niche
and we introduce new SKUs every season.
The challenge we face
when we want to create a new SKU
is in flower preservation, the story and the content.
And it takes some time.
How many pieces do you make every month right now?
We make around 6,000 to 7,000 pieces.
According to your revenue,
you must be selling around 1,500 units per month.
- You said Rs. 21 lakhs. - No, I sell around 2,000 units per month.
Alright. It's a round figure. Then why are you making 6,000 pieces?
[dramatic music]
Are you increasing your inventory?
No! We have a manufacturer in China.
Managing orders and the transit every month
is a bit troublesome.
How big your business will be in the next 3-4 years?
After five years, we'll become Rs. 100 crores brand for sure.
- So you can make it a Rs. 100 crores business. - Yes!
I have made my decision.
First, I feel there will be a scalability issue.
Secondly, I think it lacks competitive moat.
I think my issue is with the manufacturing.
You have an MOQ
which is the minimum order quantity.
You can't adjust to the demand
when manufacturing isn't under your control.
So I think that's a weakness
and you must take measures to solve it.
- We will... - I hope you crack it at some point.
I wish you the best but I'm out.
Your mission of 'keeping nature close to your heart'
is a laudable one.
And your brand name LeafyAffair is nice too.
I liked your design sensibility
and the designs are great.
I think in the long term,
it will become a unique range of business as a jewellery brand.
Your repeat rate is 12%.
It means it's bought like a novelty.
Yes.
It's difficult to estimate how big this market is.
As it's manufactured in China, there must be a market globally too.
- There's a global market. - I don't know if it's a big market globally.
I want to be out of it. Best of luck!
My biggest problem in evaluating your business
is in estimating its growth.
I can't fathom how it'll cross the threshold
of Rs. 10 crores to Rs. 20 crores.
My personal advice is that you don't need the Sharks.
You have established a good business and you're doing well.
You are an inspiration for our country
because you made a profit of crores of rupees sitting at your home.
You demonstrated that for a niche product.
It was a great learning experience. All the best but I want to be out.
I'm excited about your industry.
[adventurous music]
I think it's fantastic.
But your pitch is all wrong.
Okay.
I think your brand name LeafyAffair is wrong.
- contact me at that time. I'd love to fund you. - Okay.
- I'm out. Good luck! - Fine.
Thank you! It was amazing meeting you. Bye!
Thank you!
[dramatic music]
'In today's Shark Xperience segment, '
'Amit, Aftab from Lucknow has a question for you.'
'People often say'
'that it's difficult to work with a family member'
'but your brother is your co-founder.'
'What are the benefits and drawbacks of the same?'
My nature is aggressive, impatient
and short-tempered. Though I have controlled it now.
I'm quite short-tempered.
On the contrary, Anurag is calm and patient.
He isn't aggressive.
He takes time before making decisions.
On the other hand, I take decisions quickly on a daily basis.
Our complimentary nature is beneficial for the company.