Business Remedies | Rajshree Upadhyaya | Mitresh Sharma’s journey from a small-town MBA to the founder of First Bud Organics reads like a patient, carefully tended crop that finally bore fruit. He and his mother Saroj Devi Sharma started the brand with a simple aim to remove middlemen and bring single origin spices, honey, teas and traditional pickles directly from farmers to urban kitchens; the company was officially founded in 2017 and grew slowly at first as Mitresh tested product-market fit with a handful of herbal teas and specialty turmeric.
The early days were marked by tight cash management and a focus on authenticity-Mitresh has repeatedly said he began with modest capital and learned product sourcing and direct farmer relationships on the go. That bootstrap ethos shows in how First Bud positioned itself: handcrafted or small-batch wellness items, transparency about origin, and storytelling that connected each SKU to a farming region. The brand’s marketing leaned into the founder story and the idea that better kitchen ingredients should be accessible without inflated margins.
When First Bud Organics pitched on Shark Tank India Season 3, the founders sought Rs. 50 lakh for a small equity share, presenting numbers that highlighted strong month-on-month growth and a devoted direct-to-consumer following across marketplaces. The pitch emphasized hero SKUs such as Lakadong turmeric and Pahadi honey and stressed that a large portion of revenue came through online marketplaces and their own store. The sharks probed unit economics and scalability but appreciated the authenticity and category potential.
The pitch ended with a notable deal when Ritesh Agarwal agreed to invest and join as a strategic backer. The accepted investment was Rs. 50 lakh and Ritesh Agarwal became the investor; different summaries vary slightly on the exact equity percentage discussed but the core fact that First Bud secured funding from Ritesh stands out as a turning point for the brand. Received investment from Ritesh Agarwal Rs. 50 Lakhs for equity.
Post Shark Tank, the company moved to scale SKUs, expand distribution and lean into export and marketplace growth; interviews and profiles describe a period of rapid customer acquisition and new product launches while maintaining farm relationships. Today, First Bud Organics maintains an active website and social presence and continues to list and sell products, signaling that the venture is operational and trading. The company is currently operational.
What makes First Bud Organics noteworthy is not just the Shark Tank moment but how that national visibility accelerated conversations with suppliers and customers and validated a long-running thesis about Indian single origin ingredients. Mitresh’s narrative-small beginnings, an insistence on direct sourcing, and a very public validation by a well-known investor-helped the brand move from local kitchens to a broader audience while keeping the founding promise of farmer-first sourcing intact.
If the story of First Bud Organics teaches anything, it is that focused product authenticity plus a disciplined approach to distribution can attract both customers and strategic capital; for Mitresh and his mother, the Shark Tank episode was the moment that amplified years of quiet work and turned regional heritage ingredients into a national brand conversation.
Written & Edited By:
Rajshree Upadhyaya
