The way to spirituality takes a detour down the tech route in today’s India and a $151.9 Bn market waits to unfold in the next 10 years with an exponential rise in traffic.

Believe it or not, millennials and Gen Z are spearheading this growth in spiritual tech around the world. If 62% of millennials and Gen Z in the US identify as “spiritual but not religious”, then 51% Indian youths seek astrological insights daily, and 88% read horoscopes weekly.

“It’s not faith alone,” asserted Prashant Sachan, who founded AppsForBharat. The spiritual tech startup is in the league of AstroTalk, Vama, Melooha, Japam, Utsav, Devdham and many more, offering services like astrology consultations, live puja bookings and virtual temple experiences. “We’re in the business of experience, happiness, peace and contentment.”

AppsForBharat was an early explorer in an uncharted territory when the world was swathed by a seemingly endless uncertainty in the COVID days of 2020. “We help people feel a sense of fulfilment every time they use our services. We help them understand what they’re doing, why they’re doing it, and what it means. And we make sure the experience is seamless,” Sachan said.

The fulfilment is aided by the three significant drivers – affordability, access and aspiration. Convenience is a fourth. “You don’t have to worry about finding a pandit (the priest) or arranging the samagri (the items for performing a puja). We take care of everything.”

As emotional wellness, micro-healing and a renewed sense of community shape how people seek comfort and clarity, India’s spiritual tech has entered a growth phase like never before, setting the $58.6 Bn market on a 10% annual growth track.

Sachan’s AppsForBharat runs Sri Mandir, a dedicated app where the user can perform a puja from the mobile. It also plays bhajans, features Hindu almanac Panchang, and lets users attend daily darshans. They also book personalised pujas, offer chadhava (offerings) to temples and also provide fully assisted darshan yatra tours at a fee.

As of now, the Sri Mandir app is available in over 30 countries, hosts 3.5 Mn monthly active users, serves more than 100 temples and has conducted over 3 Mn pujas and chadhavas for its users. Sachan claimed that the platform has nearly 1.2 Lakh paid users, and the rate of conversion to paid users has grown........

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