AppsForBharat raises ₹175 crore for Sri Mandir

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In a move that’s far from ordinary, AppsForBharat raises ₹175 crore in a fiery Series C funding round, led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital. This isn’t just about numbers—it’s about a deep cultural force finding its footing in tech. With longtime supporters like Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum, Elevation Capital, and Peak XV Partners returning to the table, the vote of confidence speaks volumes.

The goal? To rewire the spiritual experience for India’s temple towns—Ayodhya, Varanasi, Ujjain, Haridwar, and many more. But this isn’t your typical scale-up story. It’s the collision of devotion and disruption. The Sri Mandir app, already downloaded over 40 million times, lets users book online pujas, receive prasad, and stream temple rituals. Over 52 lakh rituals happened digitally just last year.

This new capital isn’t sitting idle—it’s fuelling physical logistics hubs, creating jobs where they matter most, and shaping AI tools that don’t just guide users—they walk with them. Founder Prashant Sachan isn’t building a product—he’s building digital sanctity.

This isn’t some sanitised platform. It’s about rediscovering ritual through the screen, not replacing it. Sri Mandir is turning India’s fragmented ₹3 lakh crore spiritual economy into an organised, scalable force that empowers priests, supports artisans, and engages the diaspora. Investors aren’t just writing cheques—they’re backing faith, in both senses.

1. Introduction: A Breakthrough Moment for Spiritual Tech

1.1 AppsForBharat Raises ₹175 Crore

If you still think tech and temples don’t mix, you haven’t heard what AppsForBharat just pulled off. AppsForBharat raises ₹175 crore in a Series C round that signals something larger: faith-tech in India is officially here, and thriving.

With Susquehanna Asia leading the charge and heavyweights like Fundamentum, Elevation, and Peak XV returning, this isn’t a fling. It’s a full-blown movement. The company is channelling funds into temple-town infrastructure, jobs, and AI tools built not for convenience, but spiritual connection.

1.2 Bridging Faith and Technology

AppsForBharat isn’t patching over the temple economy. It’s reimagining it. Sri Mandir, their flagship, brings the age-old ritual into the age of swipes and clicks. And no, it’s not some kitschy app with bhajans on loop. We’re talking full-fledged puja bookings, real-time darshan, prasad delivery, and AI-led personalisation.

The money raised? It’s not just capital—it’s momentum to unify an industry that’s been spiritual but scattered.

2. Startup Model: How AppsForBharat Works

2.1 The Sri Mandir App Experience

This isn’t just an app—it’s a shrine in your pocket. Since its 2020 debut, Sri Mandir has grown into a spiritual concierge. You can schedule rituals, send chadhava, stream aartis live, and even build your digital mandir. It adapts to your region, language, deity, and mood.

Through exclusive links with 70+ temples, the app doesn’t just show you rituals—it connects you to them. If you’re sitting in London, you can still perform a puja in Ujjain. That’s powerful.

2.2 Revenue Model and Monetisation

Let’s talk money. AppsForBharat isn’t surviving on goodwill. Here’s how they keep the lights on:

1. Service Charges: Book an online puja, pay a fee. A slice goes to the platform; the rest goes to the priest or temple.
2. E-commerce & Subscriptions: From incense to idols, the app sells verified spiritual products. A recurring model is brewing, too.

This structure does more than make a profit—it enables predictable income for temple staff and small vendors.

3. The Founder’s Vision and Mission

3.1 Meet Prashant Sachan

He’s not your typical tech bro. Prashant Sachan, an IIT-Bombay alum and ex-cofounder of Trell, had a different calling. He grew up with faith, not as an idea, but a rhythm. And when he looked around, the spiritual space online felt hollow.

So he built Sri Mandir not to replace tradition but to preserve it—digitally, yes, but sincerely. His vision? To make devotion borderless. And judging by the 40 million downloads and 52 lakh online rituals last year, he’s struck a nerve.

4. Growth Metrics and Industry Trends

4.1 Faith-Tech on the Rise

India’s religious economy is massive—₹3 lakh crore big. That’s 2.3% of GDP, and most of it is still offline. Enter AppsForBharat, armed with UX, AI, and a spiritual compass.

In just a year, they’ve:

• Crossed 40 million app downloads
• Helped 12 lakh users perform 52 lakh rituals
• Attracted 20% of users from abroad

And guess what? Faith isn’t fading—it’s finding new formats.

4.2 Market Context and Opportunity

India is home to 6.5 lakh temples. Most lack digital infrastructure. AppsForBharat isn’t just giving them a webcam—it’s offering logistics, payment gateways, ritual management, and year-round engagement.

This isn’t just a market—it’s a movement waiting to be unlocked.

5. Services, Products, and Differentiators

5.1 Core Offerings

Sri Mandir isn’t a single-use app—it’s a devotional suite. What can you do with it?

• Live Darshan: Watch temple rituals unfold in real time.
• Digital Mandir: Build your home shrine, virtually.
• AI Guidance: Ritual walkthroughs tailored to your tradition.
• E-commerce: Purchase spiritual items directly from verified vendors.

5.2 Unique Features

Sri Mandir wins on nuance. Features like multi-language support, group rituals, daily recommendations, and custom deity tracking make it more than functional—it’s personal.

It’s what draws in not just NRIs, but Gen Zs, Tier-2 citizens, and grandmothers alike.

6. Impact and Challenges Addressed

6.1 Formalising a Fragmented Sector

The temple economy has long been chaotic. Sri Mandir adds rails to the road. Temples now get access to dashboards, inventory systems, and order tracking tools.

Results?

• 25–30% boost in temple income from online rituals
• Full-year employment for priests and local vendors
• Greater temple footfall driven by digital awareness

6.2 Accessibility for All

Let’s be honest—many can’t access temples due to distance, health, or finances. Sri Mandir makes devotion democratic. All you need is a smartphone.

You can chant, offer, pray, and get blessed—without stepping out.

7. The Road Ahead

7.1 Future Plans with New Funding

Here’s what AppsForBharat raises ₹175 crore unlocks:

• Expansion into 20+ temple towns
• Fulfilment and logistics hubs
• Local employment in spiritual towns
• Rollout of AI-guided spiritual companions

The company’s also eyeing devotional learning for kids, diaspora integration, and spiritual communities that thrive online.

7.2 Investor Confidence

Susquehanna’s Sai Araveti wasn’t vague—he called this India’s digital devotional backbone in the making. With the depth and reach Sri Mandir has, others in the VC space are listening.

8. Competitors and Market Landscape

8.1 Current Competition

Who else is in this space? A few names:

• MyTemple Connect: Good for live temple streaming.
• 99Pandit: Focuses on pandit bookings.
• Astrotalk: Astrology-led platform.

But no one else blends rituals, commerce, content, and AI quite like Sri Mandir.

8.2 Why Sri Mandir Leads

• They were early.
• They partnered deeply with temples.
• They understood cultural nuance.
• And they built full-stack infrastructure, not patches.

Learning for Startups and Entrepreneurs

AppsForBharat proves something powerful: the most meaningful tech often comes from the most unlikely places.

What founders can learn:

• Emotional relevance matters more than shiny features.
• Serving tradition doesn’t mean avoiding innovation.
• Real India (aka Bharat) has massive unmet needs.
• And no, you don’t have to copy Silicon Valley to scale.

Build local. Think spiritual. Deliver globally.

About Foundlanes

At foundlanes.com, we chase stories with soul. Whether it’s edtech or devotional-tech, we aim to uncover startups that change lives, not just valuations.

This deep dive on AppsForBharat isn’t just about funding—it’s about a spiritual reimagination of the digital economy. For founders building in India, and for readers chasing what’s next, we’re your destination for honest, human-first startup coverage.