Started with Rs 10,000 capital, struggled to afford Aquaguard in the beginning: Shark Tank India's Vineeta Singh

Vineeta Singh, co-founder and CEO

For a young entrepreneur, working capital and cash flow should get equal attention as profitability, if not more, said Vineeta Singh, chief executive officer and co-founder of Sugar Cosmetics and a 'Shark Tank India' judge.

Singh was speaking to the host of startup show 'Shark Tank India', and answered a question about how an entrepreneur can start their own business with minimum capital.

The entrepreneur remembered her journey and how she started with as little as Rs 10,000.

“When I started my journey almost 16 years ago, I literally had Rs 10,000. So, there is no minimum amount as such. But of course there are so many struggles in the beginning. I remember I had no money for even an Aquaguard and my mom forcefully installed one in my home,” she said.

However, the key characteristic in the journey is to have financial discipline, Singh said.

“If you build your business with patience, don’t take decisions in haste and tightly manage your cash flow. If you are able to maintain your financial discipline, then no amount is small.”

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We have already seen so many examples from Shark Tank India who have started with very little capital and now have an empire of Rs 100 crore, Singh added.

“If you don’t have much money to start with, cash is going to be queen for you,” she said.

Singh is one of the most popular 'sharks' from the show. She has already invested in several startups and played a crucial rule in expanding these ventures’ growth.

According to reports, early backers of the company are eyeing an exit and Malabar Investments is likely to buy a stake worth Rs 80-100 crore.

The beauty e-commerce brand posted an operating profit of Rs 420.2 crore in FY23, a jump of 89%, and reported a slight increase in net loss to Rs 76.2 crore.