Shark Tank India 5 delivered one of its most debated pitches yet as a spiritual wearables brand sparked questions around faith, superstition, and ethics. The latest episode featured Japam, a brand selling Rudraksh and other spiritual beads, founded by Ritoban Chakrabarti from Mohali.

While the pitch ended with a deal, it also led to sharp exchanges between the sharks and raised eyebrows.

Shark Tank India 5 Sees A Spiritual Pitch With Big Numbers

As seen in the promo below, Ritoban began his pitch with a dramatic spiritual introduction linked to Lord Shiva and Rudraksh. He explained how the idea of Japam was born from one simple question that most buyers ask – “kya yeh asli hai?” According to him, the market is flooded with fake spiritual products, and his brand aims to promote authenticity.

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He claimed that Japam guarantees 100 percent real Rudraksh and spiritual beads. Backing his confidence with numbers, Ritoban revealed that the brand is expected to close the year with Rs 60 crore in net revenue. He asked for Rs 1.5 crore for 1 percent equity, valuing Japam at Rs 150 crore.

He also shared a personal story, saying an astrologer once predicted he would do “do numbri ka kaam,” which he later interpreted as becoming an entrepreneur.

Sharks Question On Spirituality And Superstition

As the pitch progressed, the sharks began questioning the fine line between spirituality and superstition. Namita Thapar asked Ritoban how he differentiates the two, especially since his products are faith-driven. Ritoban responded by admitting that fear and spirituality are deeply connected and argued that people should follow what gives them belief and comfort.

A bigger concern arose when Vineeta Singh examined Japam’s authenticity certificate. Ritoban revealed that his company selects the labs for testing and then issues certificates for its own products. While this raised doubts, none of the sharks pushed too hard on the process.

Viraj Bahl then shared that he wears a sacred thread from a temple that holds personal meaning but was given freely. He questioned why something so pure needed to be commercialised. Ritoban avoided a direct answer, stating that faith-based spending has always existed, whether through donations or pilgrimages.

Sharks Start Dropping Out

Viraj was the first to opt out, saying the business went against his belief system. Vineeta Singh and Kunal Bahl also stepped back, pointing out that Japam was already profitable and did not truly need external funding.

That left Namita Thapar and Varun Alagh in the game. Interestingly, Namita openly said she was anti-superstition but still felt that a “real player” was needed in this space. Together with Varun, she made a joint offer that included royalty.

Shark Tank India 5 Pitcher Calls Namita Thapar’s Offer UNFAIR

Ritoban called the deal UNFAIR and questioned the royalty structure and asked, “Then what have you put on the table?” Despite being out, Kunal spoke on the founder’s concern and called it a smart question. This led to a tense moment, with Namita snapping back, “Tu toh bahar hai na… yeh kyu baat kar rahe hain?”

She then revised the offer by reducing equity but keeping the royalty clause. Despite continued comments from Kunal calling it zero risk for the sharks, Ritoban eventually accepted the deal.

Japam closed the deal at Rs 1.5 crore for 1 percent equity with 1x royalty, maintaining a valuation of Rs 150 crore.