Puja, Prasad & Pandits—Now Powered by ₹175 Cr in Fresh Capital

AppsForBharat, the Bengaluru-based parent of the Sri Mandir devotional platform, has raised ₹175 crore (about $20 million) in a Series C round led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, with continued backing from Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum, Elevation Capital, and Peak XV Partners. The fresh capital marks a pivotal moment for the startup as it seeks to scale its reach and deepen its technology infrastructure across India’s temple ecosystem.

 

Key Highlights:

 

Expansion Drive: The funds will be deployed to expand Sri Mandir’s presence in over 20 temple towns, including spiritual hubs like Ayodhya, Varanasi, Ujjain, and Haridwar. The company plans to set up logistics and fulfillment hubs to streamline the delivery of prasad and ritual goods, and further strengthen its services and commerce stack.

 

AI-Powered Devotion: AppsForBharat will invest in building AI-led features to personalize user experiences and improve digital infrastructure for temples, aiming to boost engagement and simplify spiritual interactions.

 

User Growth: Sri Mandir has surpassed 40 million downloads, with 1.2 million devotees performing 5.2 million online pujas and offerings at 70+ temples in the past year alone. Nearly 20% of demand comes from the Indian diaspora in countries like the US, UK, UAE, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

 

Economic Impact: The app’s digital engagement has helped temples increase reach and revenues, with online puja bookings contributing up to 30% additional earnings in some towns. The company expects to create 500–1,000 jobs or gig opportunities across its new hubs.

 

Revenue Model: Sri Mandir generates revenue exclusively from paid rituals and services, with about 7% of users opting for premium offerings.

 

Founder and CEO Prashant Sachan emphasized this round marks a new phase of growth, focusing on temple partnerships, tech upgrades, and global user acquisition.

 

Sources: Business Standard, TechCrunch, Moneycontrol