4 minutes of readingNew DelhiUpdated: February 6, 2026 10:45 am IST
Shark Tank India Season 5 Judge Kanika Tekriwal recently spoke about her cancer journey on the show when an entrepreneur came to present his product that helps patients with chronic pain. Entrepreneur Shivraj Sharma from Delhi came with his company called Wholeleaf and shared his pain relief products, which are made from cannabidiols from the Vijaya plant. He mentioned that this is a “government-licensed pain relief solution that really works.” Shivraj came in to ask for Rs 50 lakh in exchange for 2.1 per cent of his company, valuing it at Rs 23.8 crore.
Shivraj shared that he came across this pain relief product when his aunt was undergoing cancer treatment and they got her CBD from abroad. Aman Gupta wondered if this was allowed in India, and Shivraj said confidently, “Of course it is allowed.” Namita Thapar questioned him about the legality of the product, with respect to the NDPS Act and shared that the bud of the cannabis plant is classified as a narcotic substance and is not permitted, but the leaves of the plant have less THC and are allowed for medicinal purposes in India. He also shared that they get permissions from state governments and are licensed and standardized.
Kanika Tekriwal says more than cure, pain and treatment kill cancer patients
Kanika Tekriwal She then opened up about her cancer journey and revealed that she had cancer at the age of 21 and would feel immense pain during treatment. “I had cancer 17 years ago. I was 21 years old and I used to have a round of chemo every 2 weeks and I was dying of pain. My doctor told my parents to get me CBD oil, but it was not available anywhere. By the grace of God, I am sitting in front of you with my full head of hair, so I am very happy that you are doing this. I think more than the cure, it is the pain and the treatment that kills you,” she shared.
Kanika said she “doesn’t like allopathy” but completed her chemotherapy and radiation treatment when she had cancer. “I was 21 years old and 40 doctors told me that you would survive 4 months or 4 days. Then I met a doctor in Bombay and I said, ‘We’re having a drink 40 years later, now let’s talk,'” he shared. Kanika clarified that she couldn’t get CBD oil when she needed it because it wasn’t available in India at the time. She said she wants to support an Indian company that is doing this “ethically.”
Namita was quite impressed with the founder as he already has 13 clinical trials, of which 2 were conducted with 50 to 75 patients each. She was also impressed with the findings of his trials, as he is dedicated to “evidence-based” medicine.
Eventually, Aman, Namita and Kanika struck a deal with the businessman for Rs 1.5 million in exchange for 7.5 percent of his company, valuing it at Rs 20 million.
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Cancer turned Kanika into a “strong person and ready to face any challenge”
in it previous chat with Rediff, Kanika shared that she was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. “Cancer made me a strong person and ready to face any challenge. My brief but very real contact with the concept of mortality led me to the idea that this life, so miraculously granted to us, should be used to dream big and achieve more. I spent my eight months of treatment analyzing, planning and structuring my vision, and I made it a reality,” she said.
Kanika’s net worth is estimated to be over Rs 420 crore and she was previously among the richest women on the Hurun Rich list.