The Candid Talk: AI Pandits to Digital Pujas; Is technology changing devotion?

New Delhi: Shubhangi Gupta, a resident of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, launched the Teertham App with the vision of bringing faith into the digital age. The platform is rapidly gaining popularity by enabling people to perform traditional puja rituals from the comfort of their homes. After working at HDFC Bank and spending nearly a decade in the marketing sector, Shubhangi recognized that puja-related services remained fragmented and often inconvenient. This realization inspired her to create a seamless digital solution.

Startup Idea Born Out of Personal Experience

On the popular show 'The Candid Talk' with veteran journalist Manoj Tibrewal Aakash on Dynamite News, Shubhangi Gupta, founder of Teertham App, shared her journey. After completing her MBA in Marketing from Delhi, she gained extensive experience in the corporate sector. A turning point in her life came when she encountered problems such as a priest not arriving on time and missing essential materials during a puja held at home. She realized that millions of people living in metropolitan cities must be facing similar problems. This experience gave birth to the idea for the Teertham App.

Key Features of Teertham App

Shubhangi explains that this app is not limited to booking a priest, but rather a comprehensive religious service platform. Users can access horoscope information, receive daily religious alerts, and schedule pujas based on their needs. Pandits arrive at homes with the necessary materials and perform the puja ritual as per the prescribed rituals. The platform also understands the individual's problem and suggests appropriate solutions.

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New Dimension of Faith with AI

Shubhangi believes that while sectors like food, travel, and education have gone digital, devotion can also advance with technology. The Teertham app features AI-based suggestions that tell the user the type of puja to perform based on their circumstances. She believes that with the development of technology in the future, concepts like AI Pandits can become a reality.

Rapidly Growing Reach and Youth Trust

Currently, this service is available in Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Pune, and is soon expanding to Bengaluru and Hyderabad. According to Shubhangi, today’s Gen-Z seeks to stay connected with their faith but prefers a simple, reliable, and digital medium. This convenience and accessibility have helped the platform quickly gain popularity and trust among young users.

Message to Youth

Shubhangi advises young people dreaming of starting a startup to first understand the true needs of society. Only when the problem is correctly identified can an effective solution and a successful business model be developed.