Lewisia Wellness’s Controversial Shark Tank India Season 5 Debut – What Happened in Episode 1?

Expectations were high as Shark Tank India Season 5 began, but one of its early pitches—Sweet Ideas and Bold Dreams—quickly became one of the most talked-about scenes from Episode 1. Lewisia Wellness, a natural beauty and wellness company, entered the Tank with lofty claims and a daring pricing. However, following a sharply negative reaction from investors, the company exited without a transaction.

Related: Shaily Mehrotra Success Story – Journey of Fixderma Founder & New Shark on Shark Tank India

Founder Dr. Manoj Das presented Lewisia Wellness, a natural skincare, haircare, and wellness firm, on Shark Tank India. The business markets itself as providing natural ingredient-based solutions, such as oils and serums, for conditions like skin disorders, hair loss, and overall well-being. Large social media followings and copious amounts of information promoting its philosophy and merchandise were part of its online presence.

Checkout the company website here: Lewisia Wellness

Manoj Das, the show’s founder, identified himself as “Dr. Manoj Das” and discussed his training as a naturopath and aromatherapist. He described how his career started in 2003 with beauty-culture training, developed into a powerful personal brand as a wellness content provider, and then launched Lewisia Wellness in 2020.

Founder presented financial figures on the show

Claimed Revenue & Profit (Pitch Figures)

During the Shark Tank India pitch, founder Manoj Das stated that

• Revenue for FY 2024-25 was around ₹10 crore, and

• Profit was about ₹4 crore,
  – with a projection of ₹15 crore expected in FY 2026.

These figures were mentioned during the Shark questioning, though the Sharks remained sceptical.

Company Financial Estimates (Public Business Records)

According to business-information platforms that track Indian private companies like Levizia Health And Wellness Private Limited (the registered entity behind the brand):

• The company’s revenue category is estimated between ₹1 crore and ₹10 crore based on limited public data.

• Operating and profitability metrics are available but behind paywalls.
  This suggests the brand is indeed generating revenue, but precise audited figures aren’t publicly available.

Dr. Manoj Das, the creator of Lewisia Wellness, presented himself to the Tank as a naturopath, aromatherapist, and wellness specialist with more than 20 years of expertise in the holistic health and beauty industries. He displayed a variety of items, such as face serums, hair oils, skin treatments, and wellness formulations, all of which he said were 100% natural, free of chemicals, and able to treat or reverse skin and hair issues.

He began by making an audacious request of ₹1 crore for 1% share, valuing the business at ₹100 crore and supporting it with the company’s expanding online sales, personal brand influence, and robust social media following. He presented Lewisia Wellness as a high-end, physician-recommended brand and stressed that his formulas were founded on “ancient knowledge combined with modern aromatherapy science.”

However, the pitch quickly turned intense when the Sharks began probing deeper:

• Anupam Mittal questioned the legitimacy of using the title “Dr.” and asked whether Das held a recognised medical degree.
• Namita Thapar raised serious concerns about regulatory compliance, clinical validation, and the ethics of making healing claims in the beauty and wellness category without proper trials.
• Aman Gupta challenged the branding and marketing strategy, stating that fear-based selling using medical authority could mislead vulnerable consumers.
• Kunal Bahl focused on the valuation, pointing out that influencer-driven sales and personal branding cannot justify a ₹100-crore valuation without scalable systems, strong repeat purchase data, and scientific credibility.

As the conversation went on, the Sharks emphasized the moral and legal implications of terminology like “chemical-free,” “medical grade,” “curative,” and “doctor formulated.” They emphasized that misrepresenting medical authority can lead to regulatory action and undermine consumer trust in India’s expanding wellness business.

The entrepreneur was given numerous opportunities to explain his credentials, support product claims with trials, or justify the valuation with actual data, but he was unable to produce supporting documentation or metrics. The Sharks all voiced dissatisfaction with the brand’s positioning and the way authority was being projected, and the room became tense.

In the end, Lewisia Wellness received no investment from any of the Sharks. The panel unanimously agreed not to provide funds, hence the pitch was rejected. This was one of the few instances in which a well-known brand departed without a contract and with harsh on-air criticism.

The Lewisia Wellness pitch sparked widespread discussion after the episode aired:

• Viewers and media outlets characterized the program as extremely contentious, with investors publicly cautioning about the ethical and legal ramifications of deceiving clients and abusing professional designations.
• There has been a mixed response on social media: some have praised the Sharks for exposing what they see as deceptive marketing, while others contend that the criticism may have been excessively severe, drawing attention to more general problems in the business with regard to communication and product promises.

Despite Lewisia Wellness’s failure to seek funding on Shark Tank India, the business has gained attention due to both positive and negative media. This episode highlighted the need of credibility, transparency, and verified claims for wellness firms when pitching health-related products to both investors and consumers.

Lewisia health’s presence on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 1 served as a reminder of how crucial it is for health entrepreneurs to communicate clearly, be genuine, and make statements supported by facts. The discussion on how up-and-coming businesses position themselves in a market that is becoming more discriminating continues even though the pitch did not result in financial support.