Shark Tank India Season 4: Anupam Mittal questions founder Prachi Bhatia for not paying fair salaries, says, 'You're not even paying...'

The February 13 episode of Shark Tank India featured Prachi Bhatia, founder of Chokhat, a Delhi-based home decor brand known for its animal- and nature-inspired designs. Established in 2018, Chokhat aims to make designer home decor affordable for all.

Prachi sought Rs 50 lakhs for 7% equity and impressed the sharks with her creativity and dedication. She even brought beautifully crafted gifts, which they appreciated. However, her hiring practices raised concerns among the investors.

Anupam Mittal questioned her about team management, and Prachi admitted that she ran the business alone for four years before realizing she needed a team. However, she hesitated to hire, fearing she might have to fire employees later. This led Peyush Bansal and Aman Gupta to question her decision-making ability. Peyush asked, “Aise toh aap kisiko kaam pe nahi rakh paoge?” (You won’t be able to hire anyone like this.)

Prachi revealed she had recently hired two employees, one earning Rs 10,000 per month and the other Rs 7,000.

When Anupam asked about her highest-paid employee, she shared that the previous highest salary was Rs 15,000, but she let that employee go last month. Anupam pointed out the contradiction, saying, “On one hand, you want to do the best for your employees, but on the other, you are paying them below minimum wage.”

Prachi explained that she needed funding to build a strong team. Her honesty struck a chord with the sharks. In the end, Anupam and Peyush offered her Rs 30 lakhs for 10% equity and Rs 20 lakhs as debt at 10% interest.