Quirksmith

Divya Batra was passionate about accessories from the beginning. She pursued Accessory Design at the National Institute of Fashion Technology in 2001 which she completed in 2004. Right after her formal education, she joined Amrapali Jewels in 2004 as a Head of Design. Divya and Pragya Batra are Season 3's most complementarily skilled sister founders. Divya (NIFT Accessory Design, ex-Head of Design at Amrapali Jewels) is the creative heart and soul of the brand, designing every piece with poetic intention. Pragya (IIT Delhi BTech-MTech Dual Degree in Biochemical Engineering) is the analytical brain and operational engine, bringing IIT-level systems thinking to a handcrafted jewellery business. "Personally I feel there is no single word or phrase that defines me. Some days I am a dreamer, on others I feel like a rebel, and on others, I may relate to a wandering soul. My designs are an extension of me and they continue to evolve as I learn and grow as a person."

Quirksmith is India's first and only poetry-inspired silver jewellery brand, handcrafting each piece with Hindi and Urdu poetic lines and emotional expressions carved into sterling silver. Every piece is designed to be a conversation starter, giving women a way to wear their thoughts, moods, and philosophies visually through the poetry engraved on their jewellery. The brand's mission: give an expression to every woman through jewellery. Rather than designing pieces for aesthetic beauty alone, Quirksmith designs for emotional resonance. A nose pin that says "Azaad" (free), an anklet that carries a couplet about self-love, a ring engraved with "Khud Se" (from myself) each piece communicates the wearer's personality and philosophy before she speaks a word.

Amount Asked: ₹80 lakhs Equity Offered: 1% Implied Pre-Money Valuation: ₹80 crore

The founders started their pitch by reciting a few lines in Hindi and then shared the journey of their business. They also shared that the jewelry we usually wear is not that interesting and there should be jewelry that can start conversations. Divya and Pragya opened Season 3 Episode 17 with the most lyrically poetic pitch entry of the season: reciting Hindi poetry before introducing a single product, making the Sharks experience the brand's emotional core before seeing any jewellery. The poetry set the tone for a pitch that was as much about art and self-expression as it was about business. The Sharks were unanimously impressed by the products. The handcrafted silver pieces with Hindi poetry engraved were genuinely unique, the design quality was exceptional, and the brand storytelling was Season 3's most emotionally articulate. However, the commercial discussion revealed friction points: the ₹80 crore valuation on ₹6 crore revenue with 4% net margins, the occasional-wear-versus-daily-wear positioning challenge, and the scalability question of a handcrafted poetry jewellery brand.

Vineeta Singh was the first to exit, citing that the brand lacked a strong brand identity despite having beautiful products. Namita Thapar exited on pricing grounds, commenting that price optimisation was the reason her other Shark Tank investment Rubans had been successful. Anupam Mittal liked the products but felt they were occasional wear rather than daily wear, making repeat purchase frequency a significant scaling challenge. Amit Jain offered ₹30 lakhs for 3% equity plus ₹50 lakhs debt at 12% interest for 2 years. Aman Gupta offered ₹30 lakhs for 3.3% equity plus ₹50 lakhs debt at 12% interest for 3 years. He also wanted to back the founders but at better terms for himself than Amit's competing offer.

Amit offered ₹30 lakhs for 3% equity plus ₹50 lakhs debt at 12% for 2 years. Aman offered ₹30 lakhs for 3.3% equity plus ₹50 lakhs debt at 12% for 3 years. The founders countered at a maximum of 1.25% equity. Both Sharks refused the counter. The founders chose to walk away rather than accept terms that valued Quirksmith at approximately ₹10 crore (₹30 lakhs for 3%) against their ₹80 crore ask, an 87.5% valuation gap. "The short answer is we weren't aligned with the Sharks' evaluation of the brand's worth. The long answer however is more nuanced." They went on to explain their growth philosophy and the need to having a partner who aligns with that. "The truth is, when scale is the only definition of growth it scares me!"

Divya and Pragya Batra left Shark Tank India Season 3 Episode 17 without any investment, by choice. After receiving two competing offers from Amit Jain and Aman Gupta, the sisters declined both, publishing a detailed Instagram post explaining that they were not aligned with the Sharks' evaluation of the brand's worth and that scale-obsessed growth philosophy was not compatible with their vision of building a meaningful, artisan-supported, poetry-driven jewellery brand.

In an Instagram post by the brand, the sisters write about reasons for not negotiating the deal — "The short answer is we weren't aligned with the Sharks' evaluation of the brand's worth. The long answer however is more nuanced." Quirksmith continues thriving as a completely bootstrapped brand. The "As Seen on Shark Tank India Season 3" collection on quirksmith.com converts the national broadcast into ongoing consumer acquisition without having diluted a single percentage of equity. The 3 lakh plus customers served, the 50 plus artisan families employed, and the 60% women in-house team continue to grow organically. The sisters' public explanation of their decision, published as a press release through Business Standard and ANI, was Season 3's most thoughtfully articulated no-deal founder statement. Rather than expressing disappointment or criticising the Sharks, they explained their growth philosophy with the intellectual clarity that an IIT Delhi dual-degree graduate and NIFT design alumna would bring: growth is not only measured by scale, and accepting investment from partners who define growth exclusively through scale would compromise the brand's identity and mission.