Menstrupedia

Being at the receiving end of period-related stigma while growing up, Aditi Gupta was instilled with a sense of shame. With a deep understanding of the discomfort people face when conversing about periods, Aditi Gupta along with Tuhin Paul quit their jobs to start Menstrupedia Comics — India's first comic book on periods, which aims to transform the narrative about menstruation. In 2009, Aditi met Tuhin Paul at the National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, where they were both pursuing post-graduation — and where they fell in love. "I was at ease discussing periods with him," she said. In order to help her with cramps, Tuhin would go on the internet to learn more about menstruation — and when he shared his findings, she realised how little she herself knew about the subject she had lived with for years.

culturally sensitive, medically accurate, and visually engaging format. The flagship Menstrupedia Comic follows three girl characters — Pinky (yet to get her period), Jiya (who gets her period during the story), and Meera (already menstruating) — guided by a character named Priya who educates them in a wholesome and age-appropriate way. The Gulu Comic — a humorous handbook on puberty for boys, offering solutions to all the concerns a young boy may have regarding physical changes, feelings, consent, and bullying. It discusses topics like physical attraction, masturbation, addiction, and periods — in a way that is age-appropriate and culturally sensitive. Workshop programmes include the Period Program for Girls (interactive sessions helping young girls address periods with a body-positive attitude) and the Period Program for Trainers (educator certification enabling teachers and change-makers to conduct impactful menstrual health and hygiene workshops).

Amount Asked: ₹50 lakhs Equity Offered: 10% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹5 crore

Aditi and Tuhin opened with the staggering statistics of menstrual illiteracy in India — the percentage of girls with no prior knowledge before their first period, the millions who drop out of school every year due to lack of menstrual hygiene infrastructure, and the pervasive cultural taboo that leaves adolescent girls without the basic biological education they deserve. They then presented the Menstrupedia Comic — showing the Sharks the book's characters, its visual storytelling approach, and its multilingual reach across 20 languages. Menstrupedia teaches girls about menstruation. They have taught 15 million girls till now. They work with schools, NGOs, and governments. They have two primary comics for educating children about puberty: Menstrupedia for girls and Gulu for boys.

Namita Thapar was the most natural and decisive Shark for this pitch. Namita appreciated their work, mentioned that she had read a few of the comics and found them amazing, and as a pharmaceutical industry executive deeply connected to women's health, found the business investable. Aman Gupta acknowledged Namita's unique position to help, stepping aside in recognition that his consumer electronics and D2C marketing background was not the value-add Menstrupedia needed. Anupam Mittal exited having not found the business personally relatable. Vineeta Singh raised concerns about future funding prospects. Vineeta didn't find it useful in terms of funding in future aspects and went out, which was openly opposed by Namita who pushed back on Vineeta's assessment. Ashneer Grover made an offer with a significant condition attached. Ashneer offered ₹50 lakhs for 22% equity — but with the condition that the founders also sell sanitary pads.

The negotiation between Namita and the founders was clean and genuine. Namita made the initial offer of ₹50 lakhs for a 25% equity stake. Sharktankindiaclub The founders countered at 20%, and Namita accepted — ₹50 lakhs for 20% equity. All other Sharks suggested she take it, and the deal was agreed. The founders chose Namita over Ashneer's 22% offer for clear strategic reasons: Namita's pharma background, her YEA India educational platform, her women's health network, and her genuine belief in the mission made her the most strategically aligned investor.

On-Screen Deal:- ₹50 lakhs for 20% equity from Namita Thapar