Kashmir Bat Makers sue Shark Tank India and Tramboo Sports for false claims: Report

Alfa Sports, a Kashmir-based cricket bat manufacturing company, seeks Rs 500 crore compensation over misleading claims.

Alfa Sports & Co, a Kashmir-based cricket bat manufacturer has issued a legal notice directed towards Sony Entertainment Television, the broadcaster of Shark Tank India, and the co-founders of Tramboo Sports, Saad Tramboo and Hamad Tramboo, as reported by Inc42.

As mentioned in the notice, the company seeks Rs 500 crore compensation for the damages, business loss, and mental agony caused by the distortion of facts by Tramboo Sports during its pitch on Shark Tank India.

The legal action follows Tramboo Sports' pitch on Shark Tank India season three, aired on January 30, 2024, where Peyush Bansal, co-founder and CEO of Lenskart, and Aman Gupta, co-founder and CMO of boAt, agreed to investing Rs 30 lakh for a 4% equity stake in the brand.

Fawazul Kabir, a spokesperson for the Cricket Bat Manufacturers Association of Kashmir (CBMAK), informed Inc42 that Tramboo Sports obtain the cricket willows used to manufacture bats from Alfa Sports. But it has allegedly shown this as its own product on Shark Tank India.

He added, “We are going to take this case to criminal court if Sony TV and Tramboo Sports do not tender an immediate apology on national TV to hardworking cricket bat manufacturers of the valley. What was most astonishing was that Alfa Sports which was one of the vendors of Tramboo Sports was directly selling them the bats and Alfa has the invoices to show for this. This is a breach of vendor contract."

The notice elaborates that Tramboo Sports is solely involved in the sourcing and stocking of bats, with no manufacturing activities. Kabir also questioned Tramboo Sports' claim of possessing technology to elevate Kashmir willows to the level of English willows. He emphasised that this technology was not unique to the company but rather a government initiative announced by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, former chief minister, Jammu & Kashmir.

He stated, “In fact, willow storage facilities and technology clusters were established in Kashmir several years ago. This is not a unique proposition of Tramboo Sports."