Astrology has been an integral part of Indian culture for hundreds, if not thousands of years.
Astrology has been an integral part of Indian culture for hundreds, if not thousands of years. Millions continue to seek the services of astrologers even today, in a bustling, 24×7 world, relying on astrology to shed light on an uncertain future.
As with most things in 2021, access to such services isn’t easy for many who seek guidance but between juggling work and home, lack the time to accommodate such services. This is where a startup like AstroTalk comes in, offering customers real-time access to over 1,500 vetted astrologers any time of the day or night. For a fee, these astrologers provide all the astrological services one needs, and in whatever medium you’re comfortable receiving the service in, be it text, audio, or video.
Predicted into existence, and to succeed
Puneet Gupta, the founder of AstroTalk, began life as a non-believer. An uncannily accurate prediction in 2015, he says, turned his life around and convinced him of the effectiveness of astrology.
In 2015, Gupta was employed as an engineer, a job he’d taken up following the bankruptcy of his previous startup. An entrepreneur at heart, Gupta was unhappy with the job and wanted to move on, but felt that he couldn’t risk a steady income for yet another risky proposition.
A senior colleague of his, seeing his dilemma, offered him an astrology reading. Initially resistant to the idea, but swayed by his colleague’s firm belief in her abilities, Gupta relented.
Gupta’s colleague predicted that he’d quit his job and go on to found a successful startup, but by April 2017, that startup would falter owing to the departure of his partner. However, she went on to add that Gupta would then create another, more successful startup soon after, which would grow exponentially till 2026.
Inspired by her words, Gupta quit, created a startup, and it subsequently went downhill from March 2017 when his partner left.
Stunned by the turn of events, and the accuracy of his colleague’s predictions, Gupta turned believer and was inspired to bring these services to everyone via an app. AstroTalk was thus born.
In a span of four years, the app has served over two crore customers, says Gupta
Building a 24/7 astrology helpline isn’t easy
To bring astrology services to a modern, smartphone-led world, Gupta’s first challenge was to hire capable astrologers whom people could trust. These astrologers needed not just a deep understanding of astrology, but also empathy and understanding that could translate well in audio conversations or text-based chats.
“The biggest challenge for us right from the beginning till date is to find genuine astrologers. We get thousands of CVs from across India but less than 5% of the entrants can clear our interview process. There are a lot of self-proclaimed astrologers in the market, so it takes about 5-7 interviews to identify the right astrologer,” says Gupta.
Secondly, an almost obsessive need to “serve the customer in the best possible way” is crucial, adds Gupta. For example, AstroTalk initially offered only offered consultation services over video. However, talking to customers revealed that they preferred an audio-only option, which AstroTalk then started offering. The privacy offered by that audio-only medium led to further growth, inspiring Gupta to then offer a text-only option that further helped AstroTalk’s reach and retention.
“The learning here was the only way to build the best product is to talk to the customers and keep doing the best for them,” says Gupta. “If you solve the problems of customers, they will solve all your business problems.”
AstroTalk’s plans for its future
Currently, AstroTalk is already generating over Rs 32 lakh per day in revenue, offering 140,000+ minutes of daily consultation via 1,500+ vetted astrologers. For the curious, Gupta says that approximately 68,000 of those minutes are spent advising people on love, relationships, and marriage, and the rest on jobs, career, and business.
A significant portion of AstroTalk’s business also comes from abroad, and in the near future, Gupta would like to increase the company’s focus on international markets, including the USA, Canada, Singapore, and more. He also expects to hire 10,000+ astrologers by 2022, and introduce more customers to the service by offering a free consultation to new users.
The service is easily accessible via Astrotalk app and astrotalk.com. Astrologers and their fees are clearly listed, as is their specialisation, the languages they speak, their experience, and their availability
To know more – https://astrotalk.onelink.me/3LHk/e2f44048
