
TL;DR
- AppsForBharat, the company behind the devotional app Sri Mandir, has raised $20 million in a Series C round led by Susquehanna Asia Venture Capital, alongside existing investors like Fundamentum, Elevation Capital, and Peak XV .
- The app has achieved over 40 million downloads, with 3.5 million monthly active users—including 90,000 overseas—and facilitated 1.2 million online prayers across more than 70 temples in the last 12 months .
- Notably, the ARPU for international users (₹7,000) far exceeds domestic ARPU (₹600–₹800), with the Indian diaspora contributing around 20% of revenue .
- The funding will fuel expansion into 20+ temple towns—including Varanasi, Ayodhya, Haridwar, and Ujjain—establish fulfillment centers for prasad delivery, enhance AI-driven ritual assistance, and grow the team from 300 to ~400 employees .
Sri Mandir by the Numbers
Metric | Value | |
Downloads | 40 million+ | |
Monthly active users | 3.5 million (90 k international) | |
Online prayers | 1.2 million over 70 temples/year | |
Six-month retention rate | ~55% | |
Domestic ARPU | ₹600–₹800 ($7–$9) | |
International ARPU | ~₹7,000 ($81) |
What’s Next for Sri Mandir
- Temple town expansion – Opening physical micro-centers in Varanasi, Ayodhya, Haridwar, and Ujjain to streamline prasad logistics.
- AI-led rituals – Introducing chatbot-like guidance within the app for festivals, prayers, and religious queries.
- Revenue diversification – Rolling out temple merchandise sales and fulfillment offerings.
- Team growth – Scaling from 300 to approximately 400 staff, with continued HQ presence in Bengaluru and new local teams in temple towns.
Why This Matters
Sri Mandir is at the forefront of India’s religious-tech boom, where leading apps saw 60% growth in monthly usage and 50% uplift in downloads—compared to a 15% growth and 2% decline globally . With ₹3 trillion temple economy and strong engagement from domestic and diaspora communities, the app is carving a dominant niche.