MPW 2022: 'As an entrepreneur, you rarely get honest feedback,' says SUGAR Cosmetics CEO Vineeta Singh

Fame comes with its fair share of struggles, according to Vineeta Singh, CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics. Speaking about her stint in the Indian business reality show, Shark Tank India, where she appeared as the judge or ‘shark’, Singh said: “When you are running your own business you rarely get honest feedback. So when you suddenly put yourself out there, there is a lot of love but a ton of feedback.”

She was speaking at Business Today's 'Most Powerful Women in Business' awards event in Mumbai. 

For the unversed, Singh was criticised in the second edition of the reality show for not investing in a start-up in the same sector, for negotiating too much with entrepreneurs, among other things.  

“I think it (trolls) has made me strong enough to handle criticism better,” she said on Wednesday.

Shark Tank India, despite the criticism, attracted humongous attention and became a popular reality show. Did Singh expect this kind of response? 

Her answer is no. “The idea of people sitting in front of the television at 9 pm or 10 pm and watching people negotiate seemed very absurd. But they (SONY TV) pulled it off!” she beamed.  

The entrepreneur and investor also shared her experience of pitching her company in front of the sharks along with her husband Kaushik Mukherjee (co-founder of SUGAR). 

“Putting yourself in front of 14 cameras, being vulnerable, and talking about your business is very hard,” she recalled. 

The show wrapped in March but Singh has a truckload of memories from the show.  

She pointed out that there are “a lot of amazing entrepreneurs out there, especially women” and Shark Tank has made an impact in encouraging many people to take the path of entrepreneurship. 

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