The startups that are learning to hustle afresh at the Maha Kumbh Mela

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Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. Bengaluru: At the Maha Kumbh Mela, India’s largest spiritual congregation, several established startups are elbowing their way through the rush to convert devotees pouring in from the country’s remotest corners into consumers.

Among those are Zomato-owned grocery delivery platform Blinkit, which has opened a temporary store to sell select products to pilgrims, and Swiggy’s Instamart, which has installed a stall at the heart of the Kumbh–near the Triveni Sangam, a confluence of three holy rivers that has seen hundreds of thousands of people gather in recent weeks. Fintech platform PhonePe, in partnership with ICICI Lombard General Insurance, has introduced insurance coverage for travellers attending the Kumbh, and Chai Point has assigned about 175 people and set up 18-20 mini stations to cater to the pilgrims.

“We think of ourselves as a value-plus brand and our primary target segments have always been upper blue collar and the white-collar workforce," said Amuleek Singh, founder of Chai Point. “But at the Kumbh, we are seeing nearly 95% (of our customers) come from outside our usual spectrum." Also read | Inside the big, fat $30 billion Maha Kumbh economy Singh himself was stationed at the Kumbh for nearly a week to oversee the operations.

Since the religious event began on 13 January, Chai Point has been selling about 16,000 litres, or 160,000 cups, of tea per day, according to the company. Blinkit’s chief executive officer Albinder Dhindsa said in a social media post that the company had curated an assortment of products for various rituals apart from chargers, power banks, towels and blankets.