Pathik Patel, founder of nutritional food brand Fit & Flex and a participant on Shark Tank India Season 3, has sent a legal notice to Sony Entertainment Television, accusing the channel of causing substantial financial losses to his business. Patel claims that after his appearance on the show, Sony unjustly targeted his brand for trademark violations, leading to severe disruptions in his operations.
In a LinkedIn post, Patel expressed his disappointment, stating that within 25 days of airing his episode on March 15, Sony took actions such as blocking his ad account, unpublished his brand’s Facebook page, and disabled collaboration features without prior notice. These actions, according to Patel, have resulted in a complete cessation of direct-to-consumer business for Fit & Flex over the last 50 days.
“We have been reaching out daily to both Meta and Sony seeking a resolution, but have received no response,” Patel wrote. “Our intention is not to use any clips for marketing but simply to regain control of our original accounts.”
Patel further highlighted that his experience on Shark Tank India, despite initial excitement, turned into a nightmare, causing a business downturn of approximately 10-12 times. He criticized the show and Sony for allegedly misleading him and several other brands with promises of substantial growth opportunities.
“As the founder of Fit & Flex, I’ve invested deeply in building our brand, and it is disheartening to face harassment from major media houses,” Patel lamented.
On the show, Patel did not secure an investment deal and had previously voiced concerns over the portrayal of his business in the edited episode. Despite the setbacks, he emphasized the lessons learned about resilience and entrepreneurial challenges.
Sony Entertainment Television has yet to respond to the allegations made by Patel and other affected brands, indicating ongoing controversy surrounding Shark Tank India’s practices and their impact on participating entrepreneurs.
The incident underscores growing scrutiny on how reality television formats like Shark Tank affect startups, especially regarding their portrayal and subsequent management of intellectual property and branding issues.
