Shark Tank India 5: Namita Thapar questions pet food brand founder about his opinion on the Supreme Court’s stray dog verdict; he calls it 'harsh'

The latest episode of Shark Tank India season 5 started with a face-off between two pet food brands. The show witnessed two distinct pet food philosophies head-to-head competing against each other. The second week of this season saw a battle for pet food supremacy between Smylo, a cat-first nutrition brand, and Nootie, a legacy name in dog food. Smylo chose to lead the charge as they won the toss, followed closely by Nootie. While the battle was intense between the two brands, the tank experience turned out to be quite overwhelming for one of the pitchers from Nootie, Akshay Mahendru. He couldn't handle the pressure and almost broke down as the shark grilled him for his numbers.

The pitch was made in front of Anupam Mittal, Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Kunal Bahl, and Varun Alagh. The first pitcher, Smylo founded by Abhishek Agrawal (IIT Delhi) and Kartikeya Gupta (BITS Pilani) is a research-led cat food brand launched in late 2024. It was inspired by the founders’ personal loss of their pet. Smylo, the nimble challenger seeked Rs 68 lakh for 1% equity. Next to go for the pitch was Nootie. It is a 27-year-old mass-premium pet-care brand led by Anil, Akshay, and Karan Mahendru. It serves 70,000+ families with a wide portfolio spanning nutrition to grooming. Their ask was Rs 1 crore in exchange for 1.2 percent of the brand, valuing their company at Rs 83.33 crore.




As soon as Akshay from Nootie, started the pitch, Namita interrupted and asked the Delhi-based entrepreneurs about his opinion on the recent stand of the Supreme Court for stray dogs in the city. Akshay immediately responded and described the court’s decision as “harsh.” He also said that he prefers calling them community dogs rather than stray dogs, as they are an important part of the neighbourhoods they live in.

Nmaita loved Akshay's response and praised him for the same. Akshay further revealed that they introduced a biscuit pack priced at Rs 10 on Swiggy Instamart, specially made to feed community dogs. Namita lauded their effort and called their actions “thoughtful.” Akshay added that they are going ahead with this even though it won’t bring in much profit. He stated that their main aim is to offer a good-quality product so community dogs can be fed properly.

Akshay said that apart from the pet care brand, they already run eight stores across the city, which were set up even before the brand began. These stores sell pet products from different companies. Their own brand, Nootie, is now available on their website, in their stores, and on all major quick-commerce platforms. At one point, one of the pitchers even tasted a piece of the dog biscuit to show that it is made using human-grade ingredients.

The pitchers showed strong sales, but while explaining the numbers, Akshay became emotional and was almost in tears. He said, “I am a little overwhelmed. Sorry. I am sorry I am not able to tell you my numbers." Anupam instantly understood his situation and said, “You had a brain fail.” Varun also consoled him and asked him not to worry. After they returned to the tank for the results, Akshay shared that he got emotional as he had been trying to be on Shark Tank India for the last 5 seasons and it meant a lot to him. He revealed, “I am a mama’s boy.” Anupam comforted him and said, “In India, everyone is a mama’s boy.”

After Vineeta, Varun, and Kunal opted out, Anupam and Namita made separate offers. The final deal was closed with the two investors putting in Rs 1 crore for a 4 percent stake, along with a 1 percent royalty until their investment was recovered, valuing the company at Rs 25 crore.

The Nootie team shared, “With a legacy of 27 years in making premium pet care accessible to the common man, it's an honour to bring our brand on Shark Tank India S5. We don’t just sell quality food, we build a community that cares for every pet, from the ones in our homes to the ones on our streets.”