Kalpana and Uma Jha failed to secure funding in the first season of Shark Tank India. A year later, Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh travelled to their Darbhanga factory and surprised the founders with an Rs 85 lakh investment.
For entrepreneurs, hearing “no” from investors can be disappointing. But for Kalpana Jha and Uma Jha, founders of the Mithila-inspired pickle and chutney brand JhaJi Store, their experience on Shark Tank India turned out to be only the beginning of a much bigger journey.
The sisters-in-law appeared on the first season of the popular business reality show to pitch their traditional pickle business. Despite impressing the Sharks with their understanding of business metrics and the potential of their venture, they walked away without an investment.
Yet the exposure transformed their business.
According to the founders’ earlier account, the response following the telecast was extraordinary. Orders surged, and products that would normally take months to sell reportedly sold out almost overnight.
More than a year later, the JhaJi founders received an unexpected visit at their factory in Darbhanga, Bihar. What they initially believed was a routine production shoot turned into a major surprise when Shark Tank India judges Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh arrived at the facility.
The visit eventually led to what the founders had not received during Season 1: an investment.
From Homemaker and Teacher to Food Entrepreneurs
JhaJi Store was founded by sisters-in-law Kalpana and Uma Jha, who brought together their different experiences to create a business centred on traditional flavours from the Mithila region.
Kalpana, who was in her early fifties when she began her entrepreneurial journey, had spent much of her life as a homemaker. After her husband’s retirement, she moved back to Darbhanga and began considering new possibilities.
Her knowledge of traditional Mithilanchal-style pickle making eventually became the foundation of the business.
Uma, meanwhile, was a teacher by profession and initially had limited experience in running a commercial venture.
Together, the two women decided to transform traditional recipes into a modern business.
Their idea was to preserve and share the distinctive flavours of Mithila through products such as pickles and chutneys while creating a scalable enterprise around traditional food-making practices.
And that was how JhaJi Store was born.
Their Shark Tank India Season 1 Pitch
At the time Kalpana and Uma appeared on Shark Tank India Season 1, their business was still relatively young.
The founders had started their venture only months earlier, but their pitch made an impression on viewers and the Sharks. Their understanding of business concepts, including metrics such as average order value, demonstrated that the two women had quickly adapted from their previous careers into the world of entrepreneurship.
Despite receiving attention for their pitch, they did not secure an investment from the Sharks during the episode.
For many startups, such an outcome could have been discouraging.
But the founders chose to focus on what they had gained: national visibility.
Kalpana later said that they were not disheartened by the result. Instead, the response from customers after the episode aired exceeded their expectations.
According to her earlier account, the company received such a strong response that products which would normally have taken around three months to sell reportedly sold out almost immediately.
The television appearance had given their small Bihar-based food business a national audience.
The Business Reportedly Grew More Than 400%
The exposure from Shark Tank India helped introduce JhaJi Store to customers beyond its original market.
According to the reported account, the business grew by more than 400% over the following period, with monthly sales crossing Rs 25 lakh at the time those figures were shared.
The growth demonstrated an important reality for early-stage businesses: investment is not the only possible outcome of a successful television pitch.
Public visibility, consumer awareness and brand recognition can also play a significant role in accelerating a young company’s growth.
For JhaJi Store, the response after its television appearance reportedly created fresh demand for traditional Mithila-inspired food products.
The company had begun with a small team, but its workforce also expanded as the business grew.
A Surprise Visit to the Darbhanga Factory
In July 2022, the JhaJi founders reportedly received information that a team from SonyLIV would visit their Darbhanga factory to document the progress of their business and record footage of the production process.
The founders prepared for what they believed would be a standard follow-up shoot.
But there was a surprise waiting for them.
Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh had also travelled to the factory.
The two Sharks were shown taking an interest in the different stages of the production process. The visit gave them an opportunity to see the company’s operations beyond the short pitch presented during the first season of the show.
From observing the preparation of pickles to participating in parts of the packaging process, the visit provided a closer look at how the business had progressed since its television appearance.
For Kalpana and Uma, the arrival of the two investors was an emotional and unexpected moment.
“The Beauty of Having Regrets Is You Can Correct Them”
During the follow-up, Namita Thapar spoke openly about the decision not to invest in the business during Season 1.
She said:
“The beauty of having regrets is you can correct them.”
The comment became central to the story of JhaJi Store’s return to the Shark Tank India spotlight.
Vineeta Singh also reportedly reflected on her earlier decision. She explained that a one-hour pitch may not always be sufficient for investors to fully understand a company’s potential.
After seeing the company’s progress and revisiting the opportunity, the investors decided to support the founders’ journey.
According to the reported account, Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh presented Kalpana and Uma Jha with an Rs 85 lakh cheque, with the investment involving the Sharks and Jharkhand Angels.
For the founders, it was a remarkable turnaround.
They had entered the first season of Shark Tank India seeking investment and left without a deal. Their business then continued to grow, and the very Sharks who had earlier passed on the opportunity later travelled to their factory and decided to invest.
More Than Just a Food Business
One of the most significant aspects of the JhaJi Store story is its focus on creating employment opportunities for women.
According to the founders, the business initially employed around five or six people. As the company grew, the workforce reportedly expanded to around 50 people, with many of the employees being women.
During busier seasons, the business also brought in additional workers.
For Kalpana, the company became more than an entrepreneurial venture. It also became a platform through which women in the local community could earn an income while continuing to manage their household responsibilities.
She had reportedly borrowed Rs 12 lakh from her husband when beginning the business and initially worried about whether the investment would be lost.
Over time, however, she saw the wider impact of the venture on the women associated with the company.
The employment generated through the business reportedly helped some workers contribute financially to their households and support their children’s education.
From Traditional Recipes to a Growing Product Range
JhaJi Store built its identity around traditional food from the Mithila region.
As demand grew, the company expanded its range of products. At one stage, the business reportedly offered around 20 SKUs, with plans to add more products depending on seasonal demand.
Pickle making is a labour-intensive process that requires significant manual work. While many women are involved in different stages of production, some tasks, including heavy lifting, may require additional manpower.
As the company scaled, the founders also worked towards making their operations more professional by bringing in expertise in areas such as marketing and finance.
They also planned to move into a larger facility to increase production capacity and meet rising demand.
The transition from a small homegrown food venture to a more structured operation represented an important stage in the evolution of the company.
How Entrepreneurship Changed the Founders’ Lives
The growth of JhaJi Store also transformed the professional lives of both founders.
Kalpana, who had previously spent years as a homemaker, found herself managing employees and making business decisions.
She reportedly said that she had once hesitated to speak with people but had gradually developed the confidence to lead a growing organisation.
Uma also made a major professional transition.
A teacher by profession, she eventually left her job to join the business full-time. She described working with the women at the factory and understanding their experiences as a rewarding part of her entrepreneurial journey.
The story of the two sisters-in-law demonstrates how entrepreneurship can emerge at any stage of life.
Neither woman had started out as a conventional startup founder. Yet they identified a skill, recognised an opportunity and gradually transformed it into a business.
A Story of Persistence and Second Chances
The JhaJi Store journey is particularly notable because it challenges the assumption that an unsuccessful investment pitch marks the end of an opportunity.
Kalpana and Uma did not receive funding during their first appearance on Shark Tank India. But they continued building the business, responding to customer demand and expanding their operations.
Their progress eventually brought the Sharks back to them.
The Rs 85 lakh investment, as reported at the time, represented more than financial support. It was also recognition of the growth the founders had achieved after their first appearance on the show.
For Namita Thapar and Vineeta Singh, it was reportedly an opportunity to revisit a decision they had previously questioned.
For the founders, it was a powerful validation of their persistence.
From Darbhanga to a Larger Entrepreneurial Story
Today, the story of Kalpana and Uma Jha continues to resonate with aspiring entrepreneurs, particularly women who may believe that starting a business requires a young age, a corporate background or extensive previous experience.
Kalpana began her entrepreneurial journey after spending years as a homemaker. Uma transitioned from teaching to working full-time in the food business.
Together, they built a company around regional food traditions and demonstrated that local knowledge can become the foundation of a modern consumer brand.
Their experience also highlights the importance of persistence after rejection.
The founders did not secure funding during their first Shark Tank India appearance. Instead of treating the outcome as a failure, they continued to build the business.
A little more than a year later, their progress had changed the conversation.
The Sharks who once passed on the opportunity travelled to their factory, witnessed the company’s growth and decided to support its next chapter.
The journey of the JhaJi founders remains a compelling example of resilience, entrepreneurship and the power of building a business around something deeply connected to one’s own culture and skills.
Sometimes, an initial “no” is not the end of the story. For Kalpana and Uma Jha, it became the beginning of an unexpected second chance.
