“I Feel Like Supporting You” – Amit Jain to Gappu on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 34

A distinctive and catchy pitch in Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 34 resonated with the Sharks and the audience. Gappu is a handcrafted percussion instrument brand based in Kolkata that combines tradition and contemporary musical demands. In addition to its innovative items, this firm attracted notice for its financial potential and a deal that was landed on national television.

Related: “2.5 Crore Mein 5 Business Aise Nahi Kardoon?” Aman to EzPac on Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 33

Pallab Ghosh and Anirban Bhattacharya co-founded the Indian musical instrument company Gappu. Serving musicians of all skill levels, it specializes in handcrafted percussion instruments, such as cajons, shakers, bongos, tambourines, and other rhythm accessories. Each piece is made to produce high-quality sound and longevity.

Given India’s rich musical history and a market that has historically been dominated by unorganized and imported instruments, Gappu has entered the market to provide premium, locally produced alternatives at reasonable prices.

Official Website – Gappu

Gappu’s selection of percussion instruments is notable for its careful design and skillful craftsmanship:

• Handcrafted Quality: Every instrument is constructed with exacting attention to structural strength, tone, and resonance, giving users a genuine percussion sensation.
• Musician-Centric Focus: Designed to be playable for beginners while still satisfying the acoustic needs of intermediate and professional artists.
• Diversified Product Line: The brand’s catalog is growing to offer accessories that enhance practice and performance experiences, in addition to classic tambourines and portable travel cajons.
• Cultural Relevance: Gappu appeals to regional customs while maintaining its worldwide relatability by basing its product range on India’s music scene.

These characteristics made the entrepreneurs stand out during the show’s tech and consumer goods firms’ pitches.

The goal of Gappu is to establish a powerful brand of Made-in-India musical instruments that promotes Indian workmanship in the international percussion market. By providing both novice and experienced musicians with handcrafted, high-performance rhythm instruments, the company hopes to close the gap between quality and accessibility.

By encouraging locally produced alternatives and lowering dependency on imports, Gappu hopes to improve India’s musical instrument ecology on a larger scale. The business’s long-term goal is to establish itself as a globally recognized brand associated with dependable, musician-friendly Indian percussion instruments.

Channel Split:

Own Website – 45%

Distributors – 35%

Offline Stores – 15%

Others – 5%

Average Order Value (AOV) – Rs 2100

Amount Raised: Rs 89 Lakhs

2024 – Rs 46 Lakhs

2025 – Rs 43 Lakhs

Sales:

FY 22-23 – Rs 31 Lakhs

FY 23-24 – Rs 39 Lakhs

FY 24-25 – Rs 52 Lakhs

FY 25-26 Projected – Rs 3 Crores

The owners of Gappu made a unique pitch during Shark Tank India Season 5 Episode 34, which focused on handcrafted percussion instruments. By highlighting craftsmanship, sound quality, and longevity, they positioned the brand as a Made-in-India substitute for subpar imports and unorganized local goods. Their presentation instantly stood out from the usual slide-heavy pitches because to the live product demonstration.

The Sharks valued a number of strengths despite concerns about valuation. The founders identified a compelling market gap: musicians looking for dependable, mid-range percussion instruments without relying on imports. The product quality was also obvious, as was the branding. The early growth trajectory further demonstrated that Gappu was not a side project but a legitimate business.

The Sharks guided the conversation toward more workable agreement arrangements as talks went on. To balance risk, hybrid models that combined debt and equity were suggested rather than matching the original valuation. When investing in manufacturing-led companies that have room to grow but uncertain valuations, this is a typical strategy.

Scalability and market size were the Sharks’ main worries. Due to Gappu’s reliance on handcrafted manufacturing, concerns were raised regarding long-term viability, consistency at scale, and production capacity. The question of whether the market for percussion instruments is sufficiently large was also up for dispute.

The Ask:

₹30 Lakh for 1% equity at the valuation of Rs 30 Crores.

Sharks Reactions

Shark Aman Gupta backed out stating the scalability of the company when they introduce mass appealing music instruments.

Shark Anupam applauded the founder’s ability to build this business and raise such an amount, however, he doubted the valuation of the brand and opted out.

Shark Namita wasn’t convinced by the Product-Market Fit of the brand and advised the founders to not seek investment now due to it’s pre-revenue level. She also backed out.

Shark Ritesh was not confident in the brand’s ability to create Gappu, a lifestyle concept with their current marketing strategy, he also opted out.

Shark Amit Jain, on the other hand, offered the founders – Rs 10 Lakhs for 3% Equity + Rs 20 Lakhs debt at 12% interest for 3 years tenure at the valuation of Rs 3.33 Crores.

After some discussion, founders counter offered – Rs 30 Lakhs for 3.33% Equity at the valuation of Rs 9 Crores.

Amit said that it’s a non-negotiable offer and refused their counter offer.

Founders eventually accepted Shark Amit Jain offer – Rs 10 Lakhs for 3% Equity + Rs 20 Lakhs debt at 12% interest for 3 years tenure at the valuation of Rs 3.33 Crores. The deal was sealed.

Gappu plans to utilize Amit Jain’s investment to scale its handcrafted production and refine its marketing strategy. By expanding its footprint in offline stores and international markets, the brand aims to establish itself as a globally recognized “Made-in-India” alternative to imported percussion instruments.

The company is focused on hitting its ambitious ₹3 Crore sales projection for FY 25-26. To achieve this, Gappu intends to diversify its product line with mass-appealing instruments and accessories, further bridging the gap between premium quality and accessibility for musicians worldwide.