Shark Tank India 5 featured an innovative startup that has grabbed everyone’s attention. This Kerala-based venture is changing the hair care market with a natural, chemical-free hair colour. The founders created an ayurvedic hair dye using herbs’ natural staining properties, avoiding the harsh bleaching chemicals found in most conventional products.
During their pitch, the founders surprised the sharks with a confession. They later explained that many hair dyes contain chemicals similar to toothpaste ingredients, which can damage the scalp, speed up greying and increase hair fall.
Pitchers Present Ayurvedic Hair Colour On Shark Tank India 5
In a promo video of Shark Tank India 5, the founders said, “Pichhle chaar saal se toothpaste laga rahi hoon main apne baalon mein. Toothpaste market se jitne bhi hair dyes maine use kiye, un sab mein toothpaste wale ingredients hain. Baal kaale karne dete hain, but ab dekho daant ki taraf poore mere baal safed ho gaye honge.”
They added, “Aaj market mein jitne bhi chemical-based hairs hain, un sab mein bleaching chemicals maujood hain. Ye scalp damage bhi karta hai. Aur sabko baal-baal bachane ke liye aaya hoon. Yeh hai Anuj aur main hoon Renji Anuj lekar aaye hai humara product hair colour.”
The continued, “Isme no ammonia, no harsh chemicals. Hamare Nilini hair color mein bleech ke naam ka bhi nishaan nahi hai. Phir bhi ek ghante mein ab to ghane kaale baal dete hain. Nilini’s hair colour banti hai. Hai Indigo, coconut, shil powder aur bahut saare anya ingredients. Mere beauty blogging insights aur hamari expert team se humne product development ko master kiya hai. Isliye shesh ayurved ka keen and hair care products poora South India mein hi ho chuka hai aur isko pan-India level par superhit karna hai. Iske liye humko sharks ka help chahiye.”
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Their brand (Shesha Ayurveda) was started in 2018 by Anuj Sridharan and Renji Anuj. Their main product Nilini Hair Colour contains no ammonia, hydrogen peroxide or sodium perborate (all chemicals commonly found in hair dyes). Many toothpastes also contain hydrogen peroxide, which can harm hair over time. Nilini relies only on natural ingredients like henna (mehndi), indigo, coconut shell powder and other herbal components to create a safe and effective hair colour.
The founders explained how their product works. Anuj said, “Agar aap kele ke tane pe cut maar dein aur uska juice kisi safed kapde pe laga dein, to uspe ek daag pad jaayega, jo kai baar sabun se dhone ke bawajood nahi niklega.” This shows how natural herbal stains can colour hair effectively without harmful chemicals.
Nilini Hair Colour also includes banana stem cells and mehndi for binding, combined with p-phenylendiamine, giving hair a natural black shade that lasts 15-20 days. While this is shorter than chemical dyes, it is much gentler on the scalp.
Their Growth, Did They Secure A Deal?
Shesha Ayurveda has seen impressive growth since its launch. The company earned Rs 4 lakh in FY 2017-18, Rs 16 lakh the next year, Rs 1.2 crore in 2020-21, and Rs 2.17 crore in 2021-22. Revenue jumped to Rs 10.84 crore in 2023-24 and Rs 14.4 crore in 2024-25 with 6.5% EBITDA. This year, the business could reach Rs 28 crore, with 50% of revenue coming from hair colour, mostly through their website.
On Shark Tank India 5, the founders requested Rs 1 crore for 1.5% equity at a valuation of Rs 66.67 crore. While Mohit, Anupam Mittal and Kunal Bahal opted out, Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar offered Rs 2 crore for 8% equity with 1% royalty until full recovery. The founders accepted the deal, giving their startup a major boost and national visibility.
