Devotees flock to the Triveni Sangam for a holy dip on the inaugural day of the Maha Kumbh Mela in Prayagraj.
Summary: Startups are seizing the opportunity at the Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s largest spiritual gathering, to engage with a diverse range of consumers and explore innovative pricing and packaging strategies. In Bengaluru, established startups are vying to attract pilgrims from across the nation. Notable participants include Blinkit, a grocery delivery service owned by Zomato, which has set up a temporary store to offer select products to attendees, and Swiggy’s Instamart, which has established a stall near the Triveni Sangam, a sacred confluence of three rivers that has drawn large crowds in recent weeks.
Fintech company PhonePe, in collaboration with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, has launched insurance coverage for travelers attending the Kumbh, while Chai Point has deployed around 175 staff members and set up 18-20 mini stations to serve the pilgrims. Amuleek Singh, founder of Chai Point, noted, “We consider ourselves a value-plus brand, primarily targeting upper blue-collar and white-collar workers. However, at the Kumbh, nearly 95% of our customers are from outside our usual demographic.” Singh has been on-site for nearly a week to oversee operations, and since the event commenced on January 13, Chai Point has been selling approximately 16,000 liters, or 160,000 cups, of tea daily.
Albinder Dhindsa, CEO of Blinkit, shared on social media that the company has curated a selection of products for various rituals, including chargers, power banks, towels, and blankets. “We’ve also stocked Triveni Sangam Jal bottles,” he mentioned, referring to the sacred water collected from the Triveni Sangam. Rohan Agarwal, a partner at Redseer Consultants, remarked, “The Kumbh serves as a robust platform for brand visibility and customer acquisition. Over the course of about 45 days, these brands have the chance to connect with a significant portion of India.” He added that while most of their business activity is concentrated in major cities, this large-scale event allows them to engage with consumers from smaller towns.
Several startups at the Maha Kumbh Mela are also testing new pricing and packaging strategies to appeal to a customer base that differs from their usual target market.
