Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 3 Review
Episode 3 of Shark Tank India Season 5 delivered one of the most diverse and memorable episodes of the season, featuring pitches that ranged from cutting-edge defense technology to personal finance optimization and bold lifestyle branding. This episode showcased the breadth of Indian entrepreneurship—from BITS Pilani graduates building stratospheric vehicles for national defense to a former executive assistant revolutionizing credit card rewards, and founders challenging societal norms around men’s innerwear. The episode was marked by dramatic moments including a live challenge between a founder and a Shark, a patriotic pitch that moved investors, and spirited debates about brand identity. With the highest single-episode investment amount yet, Episode 3 demonstrated that innovation and conviction can command premium valuations.
Episode Summary
Total Pitches: 3
Successful Deals: 2
Total Investment Made: ₹6 Crore (highest so far this season)
Featured Sharks: Anupam Mittal, Aman Gupta, Kunal Bahl, Mohit Yadav, Namita Thapar
Pitch 1
SaveSage Shark Tank India Episode Review
SaveSage appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5, Episode 3, with founder Ashish Lath seeking ₹1 Crore for 1% equity (₹100 Crore valuation). After intense negotiations and a dramatic pitch where he beat Aman Gupta in a live flight-price challenge, Ashish successfully closed a deal for ₹4 Crore for 9% equity (~₹44.4 Crore valuation) with Sharks Anupam Mittal, Kunal Bahl, Mohit Yadav, and Namita Thapar.
SaveSage is an AI-powered fintech app founded by Gurugram-based entrepreneur Ashish Lath (former Executive Assistant to Kunal Bahl) that optimizes credit card rewards for consumers. The platform provides personalized credit card recommendations, real-time reward point tracking, and optimization strategies to maximize value from every rupee spent—addressing the fact that 25-30% of reward points in India go unredeemed. Ashish demonstrated impressive personal results: a 23% return on all his credit card spends over two years, not paying for a flight in 10 years (350 domestic and 80 international flights), plus 100 hotel nights and ₹15 lakh in jewelry—all through reward optimization. Despite initial skepticism from the Sharks (Anupam called it a “Naya Totka”), the turning point came when Ashish outperformed Aman in finding the cheapest Dubai flight, proving the app’s value. Operating on a subscription model with three revenue streams and having raised ₹6.8 crore previously, SaveSage targets India’s 11 crore credit card users who hold an average of 1.5 cards each.
Pitch 2
Kalam Labs Shark Tank India Episode Review
Kalam Labs appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5, Episode 3, seeking ₹2 Crore for 0.67% equity (₹300 Crore valuation). The BITS Pilani graduates—Ahmad Faraz, Sashakt Tripathi, and Harshit Awasthi—successfully closed a deal for ₹2 Crore for 1.25% equity (~₹160 Crore valuation) with Shark Aman Gupta.
Kalam Labs develops near-space aerial vehicles that reach the stratosphere (up to 43 km) for weather monitoring and military surveillance. After pivoting from a learning platform that generated ₹1.5 crore, the team has completed 60 launches in just 10 months, with 2 units deployed at IMD and 4 with the Indian Army. Their stealth vehicles feature minimal thermal signatures (nearly invisible to radar) while maintaining drone-level manufacturing costs with fighter jet performance. With a patent filed, ₹1 crore confirmed order, and ₹150 crore potential Army procurement, the founders chose nation-building over lucrative international jobs to support India’s “Make in India” defense initiative.
Pitch 3
Panteazy Shark Tank India Episode Review
Panteazy appeared on Shark Tank India Season 5, Episode 3, with founders Vikash Dahiya and Praveen Mishra from Delhi seeking ₹50 lakh for 5% equity (₹10 Crore valuation). Despite a spirited and humorous pitch, no deal was finalized as all five Sharks opted out, citing concerns about brand identity, scalability, and market positioning.
Panteazy is a men’s innerwear brand launched in December 2022 that positions itself as “men’s lingerie” with the tagline “Andar ki baat hogi sundar” (The internal matter will be beautiful). Offering products ranging from everyday essentials to specialized items like jockstraps, thongs, and bodysuits priced between ₹399-₹2,000 (₹725 AOV), the brand aims to fill the gap in stylish men’s innerwear options compared to women’s extensive lingerie choices. With 80% male and 20% female customers (purchasing for partners), the founders boldly defended their brand name to Aman Gupta, arguing “there is nothing in a name” using boAt as an example. However, the Sharks found the brand identity confused—unsure whether it was competing with Jockey or positioning as a niche sexual wellness brand—and questioned its mainstream scalability despite the founders’ vision to become a multi-category lifestyle brand.
Episode Highlights:
- The season’s largest single-episode investment: ₹6 crore across two deals
- A dramatic live challenge: Founder vs. Shark in real-time price comparison
- Four Sharks collaborating on a single deal for SaveSage—the first multi-Shark investment this season
- Defense technology and patriotic entrepreneurship earning a ₹160 crore valuation
- Bold branding debates: When does being different become being confusing?
- Valuation journeys: From ₹100 crore to ₹44.4 crore (SaveSage) and ₹300 crore to ₹160 crore (Kalam Labs)
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