Chennai-based entrepreneur Karthik Manikonda alleges that he was barred from pitching on Shark Tank India due to his lack of Hindi fluency. Despite being selected for the show, Manikonda claims he was denied the opportunity to present his proposal to the Sharks. “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,” he wrote in a LinkedIn post.
Founder of The Mind and Company, a mental health startup, Manikonda expressed his disappointment with the show’s language requirement. He stated, “Its a Hindi show. Its a national show. I proposed to allow me to pitch in English. And I hear a Big NO.” Manikonda emphasized that while he understands the show’s format, he believes regional startups should not be disadvantaged by language barriers.
Manikonda suggested a potential solution to the issue, advocating for real-time translation by AI to facilitate communication between entrepreneurs and investors. Despite his setback, he remains resilient, stating, “Disappointed, but not out.” Shark Tank India, currently in its third season, features investors like Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal, and Namita Thapar.
