Sri Mandir: Defining Devotion in the Digital Age

Name: Sri Mandir: Defining Devotion in the Digital Age (English version)
SKU: W49938

Sukriti Sekhri

Product #:W49938

Supplier:Ivey

Discipline:Marketing, Strategy

Setting:India, 2025

Details:Case (PDF) • 14 pages • 2026-07-20

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In June 2025, Prashant Sachan, founder and chief executive officer of FirstPrinciple AppsForBharat Private Limited (AppsForBharat), faced a critical decision ahead of a funding round for Sri Mandir, the company’s fast-growing digital devotion platform with over 30 million downloads. While the app had gained strong traction among urban users, a large segment of traditional devotees remained hesitant to adopt a digital worship practice. With competition intensifying, Sachan had to choose between deepening the digital model, expanding into offline devotional experiences, or pursuing a hybrid phygital approach. Each strategic direction varied in terms of its scalability, operational involvement, segment appeal, and brand positioning, and each had distinct implications for Sri Mandir’s hard-earned trust and credibility. Which growth path should Sachan prioritize ahead of the upcoming funding round?

Learning Objectives

This case is suitable for undergraduate and graduate-level management courses in consumer behaviour, marketing strategy, and marketing management. It is best positioned within modules that explore consumer influence and persuasion, particularly through the lens of Cialdini’s principles of persuasion. While primarily designed to teach consumer decision-making and persuasion, the case can also support discussions on customer segmentation, positioning, strategic growth choices for digital ventures, digital product evolution, habit formation and user engagement, and building digital adoption in emerging markets. The case helps students comprehend Cialdini’s principles of persuasion and how a digital-first platform can expand into adjacent domains. After working through this case, students will be able to do the following:

Analyze how a digital-first platform builds trust and legitimacy in a traditionally offline, ritual-driven category.
Apply Cialdini’s principles of persuasion to analyze how behavioural-influence strategies shape consumer adoption and engagement.
Identify and evaluate emerging customer segments based on their distinct needs and motivations.
Assess alternative growth strategies for a digital platform seeking to scale while preserving credibility and user trust.
Recommend a strategic path forward by evaluating the opportunities and risks associated with each growth option.