THE BUSINESS OF RITUALS

INDIA'S AGE-OLD RITUAL ECONOMY GETS A DIGITAL UPGRADE AS STARTUPS BLEND DEVOTION WITH TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION.

- BY SAMALI BASU GUHA

ON A QUIET sunny morning in Bengaluru, Saksham (name changed), 29, clicks on ‘Join Puja’ on his phone. Within seconds, the screen lights up with a live stream from Varanasi, with sounds of aarti on the banks of the Ganga and a priest chanting mantras. The atmosphere is spiritual—and digital. For Saksham this is a daily occurrence as he is subscribed to the Rudrabhishek ritual on spiritual super app AppsForBharat.

Meanwhile in Delhi, Purnima is busy struggling with a Power Point presentation, while mollifying her mother—who is on a video call from Kolkata. Tasked with arranging a Lakshmi puja back home, she is having a trying time convincing her mum about the authenticity of the mango leaves, arranged from some 1,400 km away! Purnima has outsourced the entire endeavour with the help of apps such as AppsForBharat, VAMA and Nirmalaya.

India’s ‘devotion’ market—traditionally rooted in temples, priests, and donations—is undergoing a digital transformation. A bunch of tech startups are offering rituals, prayers, astrology, and temple services as ‘products’, along with religious e-commerce. These platforms are tapping into rising urbanisation, busy lifestyles, and diaspora demand by offering convenient, authentic access to rituals via apps, aided by high smartphone adoption.

THE DEVOTION ECONOMY

The domestic faith economy, valued at $58.6 billion in 2023, is projected to record a CAGR of 10% till 2032, says a report by Kotak Securities. Around 80% of Indians engage in spiritual activities daily, well above the global average of 63%.