Stars on demand: How digital astrology is booming in India?

Astrology might seem trivial, but in India, it’s a serious business. Open an Indian app store today and you’ll find astrology apps nestled between shopping and streaming platforms. Users are spending ₹700 or more for a single chat, and venture capitalists have poured over $50 million into this booming sector. New-age players like AstroSure secured $6 million in January 2025, while Melooha raised $635,000 in angel funding. In 2025, astrology isn’t just tradition - it’s a tech-fueled, revenue-generating juggernaut.

Now let’s talk about India’s astrology app market. It’s having a full-blown cosmic moment. With over 900 religious tech startups now thriving, India has quietly become a hotspot for astro-tech innovation. And people aren’t just browsing, they're paying. Users are shelling out ₹150 to ₹700 per session for everything from personal readings to love compatibility and even career insights.

Source: MarkNtel Advisors

Swipe, consult, repeat: India’s astrology apps are scaling fast - valued at $163 million in 2024, is set to skyrocket to $1,797 million by 2030, growing at a jaw-dropping CAGR of 49.19%, with Vedic astrology ruling 60% of the market in 2024.

Globally, the stars are aligning! The global astrology market size, valued at $12.8 billion in 2021, is set to soar to $22.8 billion by 2031, with a CAGR of 5.7% from 2022 to 2031. And this isn’t just casual sun sign stuff anymore. Users are logging in daily for advice on everything from investments to relationships - even spiritual direction.

What’s driving the stellar rise?

Pandemic-driven demand

When the world shut down, people turned to the stars. Post-COVID, major astrology platforms, told The Economic Times they saw a 200% to 500% surge in calls and subscriptions. What started as consultations about jobs or investments often took a sharp turn—“Will I catch coronavirus?” became a surprisingly common question. The result? Platforms went cosmic-core: live astrologer chats, gamified predictions, and AI-personalised content to meet the skyrocketing demand.

Digital expansion

India's tech leap has been nothing short of divine. With 700M+ smartphone users and 950M internet users by March 2024, astrology apps are now just a tap away. And digital payments? They’ve exploded, rising from 55 billion transactions in FY21 to 134 billion in FY23 - making instant astrology consults easier than ever. As Meena Kapoor, CEO of Astroyogi puts it - “While the interest was always there, the enhanced accessibility has been a game-changer,” With no need for credit cards, anyone could now ask the stars a question—cheaply and quickly.

Urban shift and gen Z’s obsession

Astrology may be ancient, but Gen Z is giving it a modern twist. “The fusion of technology and ancient wisdom has made astrology more accessible, personalised, and relevant to Gen Z,” says Anmol Jain, co-founder of Astrotalk. A 2023 Astroyogi survey of 500,000 people revealed that 53.8% of Gen Z sought astrological guidance, mostly on relationships. In cities with high social media usage, Gen Z made up 60.2% of online astrology users, while non-Gen Z users accounted for 39.8%. Meena Kapoor adds, “The significant increase in astrology app usage is also coming from mid-sized urban cities like Hyderabad, Ahmedabad, and Pune.”

VC gold rush

From fringe to funded - astrology startups are suddenly hot VC property. Funding leaped from $88K in 2015 to $50M in 2024, with platforms like Astrotalk and InstaAstro grabbing headlines and capital. Astrotalk alone has bagged $34M+ in VC funding. The trend is hard to ignore.

The app that’s leading the pack: Astrotalk

From mocking astrology to building a ₹100 crore profit engine - Puneet Gupta’s journey with Astrotalk is as dramatic as a Saturn return.

Launched in 2017, Astrotalk has emerged as the undisputed giant of India’s astrology app boom. By late 2024, the platform had crossed 30 million app downloads, clocked ₹70 crore in monthly revenue, and is now eyeing a ₹1,000 crore (~$120 million) annual run rate by 2026.

That kind of growth isn’t luck, it’s scale. Astrotalk currently handles a monthly volume of about 4.5 million paid sessions. It also records another 6 million free sessions, and offers everything from ₹99 quick chats to ₹1,999 deep-dive video sessions. Oh, and yes, they’re now dabbling in AI-powered predictions, too.

Astrotalk isn't just about Vedic astrology. Users can explore tarot card readings, Chinese horoscopes, kundli matching, and more - all in 8+ Indian languages, with 24/7 live chat, detailed charts, and trust signals like user reviews, ratings, and refund options baked into the UX.

The company’s FY24 numbers? Astronomical.

Source: INC42; *Margins are shown in brackets

Astrotalk didn’t just grow - it skyrocketed, with revenue more than doubling and net profit soaring 1,076% in just one year! From legal spends to digital blitz, every rupee tells a story, and it ends with a ₹100 crore profit in FY24.

The bigger cosmic picture: Other key players

While Astrotalk dominates the headlines, other platforms are rising fast and capturing their own loyal user bases.

InstaAstro

Launched in 2021, InstaAstro has already crossed 1 million downloads with a team of over 1,500 astrologers. Its minimalist UI, quick matchmaking reports, and zodiac-led life coaching make it a favorite among urban, mobile-first users. Their top-selling features? Relationship consultations, career forecasts, and daily prediction packs.

AppsForBharat

Less astrology-only, more faith-as-a-service. AppsForBharat, creator of the SriMandir app (5M+ downloads), is blending astrology with rituals, pujas, and spiritual routines — right from your phone. In 2024, it raised a massive $40 million, proving faith has major funding potential.

AstroSage

AstroSage, a pioneer since the early 2000s, has over 10 million installs and offers serious tools—from kundli matching to Panchang calendars and even smartwatch planetary alerts. Annual revenue of Astrosage was ₹60 crore as on Mar 31, 2024!

AstroYogi

Founded by Meena Kapoor, AstroYogi started in 2015 as a telco service — and evolved into a full-fledged app post-COVID. It’s thriving in both metros and Tier-2 cities like Hyderabad, Pune, and Ahmedabad.

Astrology apps will keep evolving, and AI will be the key to unlocking their full potential. By 2026, astrology apps could sync with your calendar, fitness trackers, and finance apps for an "astrologically optimised" lifestyle. Nitin Verma, founder of InstaAstro, explains, “Our AI, including Generative AI and LLMs, makes astrologers 10x more effective. AI won’t replace them, but it will boost their ability to provide personalised, accurate guidance.”

Final thoughts

The future of astrology apps isn’t just in the stars, it’s in your daily decisions. As AI enhances these ancient practices, we're heading toward a world where your horoscope might just influence your fitness routine, investment choices, and even your next meal. Are you ready to let technology turn your destiny into a daily experience?