'I’m extremely disappointed': Why Anupam Mittal lost patience with Pista Barfi founders on Shark Tank India

What began as one of the most warmly received pitches on Shark Tank India Season 5 quickly turned into a moment of sharp disappointment, as Anupam Mittal openly called out the founders of Pista Barfi for what he felt was a lack of seriousness in building a scalable business.

Founded by Tanay Agrawal and Harshit Agrawal, Pista Barfi pitched itself as a modern take on traditional Indian mithai—easy to carry, portion-friendly, and designed for today’s consumers.

The pitch initially won over the panel, with Vineeta Singh describing the brand as the “brandification of halwai ki dukaan.”

The Sharks were visibly impressed with the taste and packaging, repeatedly praising how the brand solved a long-standing problem in the mithai category—inconvenience. Anupam Mittal himself acknowledged this early on, saying, “Great innovation, and you’ve done great form factor.”

However, the tone of the conversation shifted when the discussion moved from product to execution and founder commitment. Varun Alagh advised the founders to explore quick commerce, stating, “As a daily consumption and cloud kitchen, you should be on quick commerce, and that is where the majority of consumers search for their daily food.”

When it emerged that Harshit Agrawal was not working full-time on the business and was unwilling to leave his production career, Varun chose to opt out of the deal.

The concern was echoed by Kunal Bahl, who warned the founders that good products alone do not build enduring companies. “For any business to grow, it’s not just product, it’s momentum. It has to be founders who bring the intensity and feel the pain of building something,” he said.

The pitch ended on a visibly tense note, with Anupam Mittal expressing open frustration: “I’m extremely disappointed. This is not a way to build a great business, and you cannot see the gold mine right here in front of you.”

Despite steady revenue growth, healthy margins, and strong brand appeal, Pista Barfi exited the Tank without securing an investment.