AppsForBharat, the parent company of India-based devotional app Sri Mandir, has raised $18 million in Series B funding, led by tech billionaire Nandan Nilekani’s Fundamentum Partnership, to scale operations globally and expand its technology stack for temples and religious tourism market.
The round saw participation from Susquehanna Asia VC, and existing investors like Elevation Capital, Peak XV, and Mirae Asset VC.
Sri Mandir’s Global Reach Launched in 2021 by AppsForBharat. Sri Mandir connects users to over 50 temples, enabling virtual pujas, offerings, and consultations with astrologers and priests. With 30 million downloads, including 500,000 international users in the US, UK, and Canada, the app’s global footprint has fueled its growth, now generating 25 percent of revenue from outside India.
The platform primarily serves first- and second-generation Indian Americans who seek a spiritual connection to their roots.
AppsForBharat, Technology and Language Expansion
With the new funding, AppsForBharat aims to build a robust technology platform for temples and add five regional languages to its offerings. The app plans to scale its temple network tenfold to 500 temples in the next 12-18 months, catering to the growing demand for digital religious experiences. The funds will also support the introduction of spiritual tourism, allowing users to book pilgrimage tours and special darshan tickets through the app.
Devotional App Market Leadership Sri Mandir leads the Indian devotional app market with 30 million downloads, placing it ahead of competitors like DevDham and Utsav. However, in total downloads, it lags behind global giants such as the YouVersion Bible App and Muslim Pro. Despite generating under $100,000 in in-app purchases, the app’s unique focus on Hindu devotional content makes it the top Hindu app among the world’s most downloaded religious apps.
AppsForBharat Future Vision
The new capital will allow AppsForBharat to enhance Sri Mandir’s temple offerings and grow its revenue, which is primarily driven by small-ticket donations and puja bookings. By providing temples with a CRM-like experience, the app aims to help priests increase their income by 25-30 percent, bringing more devotees into the fold. Sri Mandir also plans to introduce Prasad delivery and devotional goods sales to further diversify its revenue streams.
Sri Mandir is tapping into the $50 billion religious tourism market with its planned features, such as pilgrimage booking services and temple management tools. AppsForBharat intends to monetize these services by partnering with travel aggregators and temples across India, offering them a robust technology stack for managing devotees and pilgrimages.
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