‘Disappointed, but not out’: Chennai entrepreneur not allowed to pitch due to lack of Hindi fluency in Shark Tank India

Chennai-based entrepreneur Karthik Manikonda alleges that he was barred from pitching on Shark Tank India due to his lack of proficiency in Hindi, despite being selected for the show.
Founder of mental health startup, The Mind and Company, Karthik Manikonda, asserts on LinkedIn that he was rejected from pitching on Shark Tank India because he preferred presenting in English rather than Hindi, a requirement imposed by the show.

He wrote, “The Mind and Company was selected for Shark Tank India, but was not allowed to pitch to the Sharks. Reason: I am not fluent in Hindi Its a Hindi show. Its a national show. I proposed to allow me to pitch in English. And I hear a Big NO. Had they told me other reasons like – Your scale is not big or- This industry is too niche or- You are not investment ready etc I would have accepted.

“But I cant pitch in non Hindi language was a bummer. I don’t blame Shark Tank. They have a format. They have to protect that. But regional startups shouldn’t lose out due to the language barriers,” he added.
Advocating for a resolution to the issue, Karthik Manikonda emphasizes that language barriers should not hinder regional startups. He proposes a potential solution involving AI-driven real-time translation to address language differences.

Expressing disappointment but maintaining resilience, Karthik Manikonda concludes his post with the sentiment of being undeterred despite the setback. “Disappointed, but not out,” he concluded.
The third season of Shark Tank India features a panel of investors, including Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal, Namita Thapar, among others, evaluating and considering investment opportunities presented by entrepreneurs.