On Shark Tank India Season 4, Gaurav Taneja AKA Flying Beast’s Pitch Rejected – News18

Last Updated:January 17, 2025, 6:46 PM IST

Gaurav Taneja claimed that his brand, which focuses on easily digestible protein supplements, generated Rs 1 crore in sales within an hour of launching its password-protected website.

The latest season of the business reality show Shark Tank India has started. This season is full of intense and dramatic episodes, keeping viewers glued to their screens. Adding to the excitement, social media influencer and entrepreneur Gaurav Taneja, aka Flying Beast, recently pitched his fitness brand, Beast Life, to the panel. However, the sharks rejected his pitch, citing divided attention, a fragmented equity structure, and a long-term commitment to his brand, BeastLife.

Accompanied by his business partner Raj Gupta, the entrepreneur sought Rs 1 crore in exchange for a 1 per cent equity stake in the startup. The brand, which focuses on easily digestible protein supplements, generated Rs 1 crore in sales within an hour of launching its password-protected website.

Taneja claimed that this achievement was possible because of his massive online following, which includes 9.5 million YouTube subscribers and 3.7 million Instagram followers.

Founder of Shaadi.com, Anupam Mittal, voiced concerns about the YouTuber’s ability to evolve into a full-time entrepreneur. Labelling Taneja a “terrible entrepreneur,” he stated, “You are a good influencer, but you can’t outsource entrepreneurship.”

He also said that success requires undivided focus and warned him against spreading himself too thin between his influencer career and various business ventures. Other judges agreed with Mittal’s concerns, questioning Taneja’s divided attention, fragmented equity structure, and long-term commitment to his brand, BeastLife. These concerns eventually prompted the Sharks to reject the pitch.

Prior to the Shark Tank India episode, the influencer took to his YouTube channel to clear the air regarding his sales figures. Addressing the media misconceptions in a YouTube vlog, Taneja clarified, “People have started thinking that I earn Rs 1 crore in one hour, but that’s not how it works. It’s revenue, not money in the pocket,” he explained.

The YouTuber also addressed the ongoing criticism regarding his visit in the show for marketing instead of fundraising. “I wanted both the marketing and the money. You can’t run a business without them. We went for both; it’s not like we did not want the marketing. We did. The biggest companies in the world want marketing,” he claimed.