Gaurav Taneja Calls Shark Tank India's Advice 'Foolish', Defends Flying Beast: 'They Wanted Me...'
After a tense pitch session on Shark Tank India 4, YouTuber and entrepreneur Gaurav Taneja breaks his silence on the show's backlash.
Gaurav Taneja—pilot-turned-bodybuilder-turned-YouTuber and now entrepreneur—found himself in the eye of a storm during his recent appearance on Shark Tank India Season 4. Pitching his protein supplement brand Beast Life, the popular content creator, widely known as Flying Beast, was met with tough love from the Sharks, who grilled him not just over business metrics, but also questioned his entrepreneurial priorities.
The pitch turned tense when Sharks like Aman Gupta, Vineeta Singh, and Anupam Mittal pointed out that Gaurav hadn't disclosed key details—such as his earnings from his massive YouTube presence or the existence of another food venture, Rosier. His reliance on delegation rather than direct involvement didn't sit well with the panel either.
Now, speaking on the YouTube podcast Think School Hindi by Zero1, Gaurav opened up about the experience and offered his side of the story. 'A lot happened at Shark Tank, and I was confused—why were they so against me?" he said, recalling how his business style, which leans heavily on team-based execution, was perceived as a red flag. 'If a customer complains, I assign the issue to my team. Of course I delegate—I can't personally track every order."
One of the most contentious moments was when he was asked if he intended to shut down Flying Beast, the very YouTube channel that launched his public persona. 'They told me, 'You aren't shutting down Flying Beast?' I thought that was ridiculous," he said. 'Why would I close the one thing that's given me reach and recognition? That's where the visibility and initial customer trust came from."
While he admits he may have had a head start due to his social presence, Gaurav emphasized that his journey hasn't been easy. 'It wasn't handed to me. I've had sleepless nights, taken 4 a.m. flights, built a distribution network from scratch. There's been blood, sweat, and hustle," he added.
Despite the backlash—and walking away without an investment—Gaurav says the experience taught him humility and grit. 'More than business, Shark Tank taught me how to handle rejection on a big stage. How to stay quiet when needed, take criticism, and go back to work even harder," he said.
His ₹1 crore ask for just 1% equity (valuing Beast Life at ₹100 crore) raised eyebrows among the Sharks, with Anupam Mittal delivering one of the harshest comments. 'You're a great influencer, but a terrible entrepreneur," Mittal had said, adding, 'You can't outsource entrepreneurship. A start-up isn't a 9-to-5 job."
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