Aditya Agrawal Kirti Goel and Gaurav Garg P TAL reviving the timeless Thathera metal craft of Punjab

Business Remedies | Rajshree Upadhyaya |  P-TAL began as a quiet college impulse that turned into a purposeful business, and its origin story is as much about people as about metal. Founded by Aditya Agrawal with cofounders Kirti Goel and Gaurav Garg, the brand—formally incorporated in 2019—set out to revive the thathera craft of Punjab, a UNESCO recognised metalworking tradition whose handmade brass and copper vessels had been losing ground to cheaper industrial alternatives. The founders translated a classroom project and early social entrepreneurship instincts into a mission-driven company that marries artisanal technique with contemporary product design and modern distribution.

From the beginning, P-TAL framed itself as more than a retailer; it positioned its work as cultural preservation. The team worked directly with the Thathera artisans of Jandiala Guru and other metalworkers to institutionalise craft skills, introduce design iterations suited to modern kitchens, and create consistent market access through e-commerce and retail partnerships. That emphasis on artisan livelihoods and traceable provenance became central to the brand narrative and helped P-TAL stand out in a crowded homeware market where sustainability and heritage stories increasingly influence buying decisions.

P-TAL’s national visibility spiked when the founders pitched on Shark Tank India Season 3, where their storytelling and strong craft credentials attracted attention from multiple sharks. The on-air moment translated into tangible investor interest and broader consumer curiosity, helping P-TAL accelerate both brand awareness and distribution. The Shark Tank appearance was not just theatrical exposure; it validated the business model to mainstream investors and signalled to a new wave of buyers that traditional metal cookware could be reframed as premium, health-oriented, and design-forward.

After the show, the company followed a classic growth arc: scaling product ranges from traditional cookware to serveware and home décor, expanding online and offline channels, and closing institutional funding rounds that underwrote faster expansion. P-TAL’s funding trajectory and strategic hires reflect a shift from early-stage social enterprise to a growth-oriented brand balancing commercial targets with craft impact. That evolution has allowed the founders to invest in artisan welfare programs, quality controls such as tinning practices for cooking safety, and higher-end packaging that suits gifting and export markets.

Today, P-TAL is operational and active across multiple channels, including its own e-commerce storefront and a presence on international marketplaces and retail partners. Recent coverage and investor interest underscore that the company is not only trading but also raising institutional capital to scale further, a sign that the model of reviving traditional craft through market mechanisms has strong traction. For readers watching craft revival meet commerce, P-TAL’s arc is a compact lesson in how cultural stewardship, deliberate productisation, and well-timed visibility can convert a heritage craft into a viable modern business.

If the organisation’s path offers a final takeaway, it is this: revivals succeed when they combine respect for technique with rigorous business design. P-TAL’s founders translated empathy for artisans into product reliability, and that combination made the brand investible, discoverable, and ultimately useful to contemporary households while keeping alive a craft that might otherwise have faded.

Written & Edited By:

Rajshree Upadhyaya