Pulkit Pujara

Building @AppsForBharat
Founder @clubairblack. Ex-VC @ElevCap

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

Our success is a reflection of our commitment towards helping millions of devotees and the temple ecosystem of India. A big internet revolution in spirituality and devotion is coming and we are very excited to be playing our part in this.

Big things ahead for @SriMandir_App 😁

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

Super excited to share that @AppsForBharat has raised an $18M Series B round. This one is special, I will tell you why!

In 2011, during my undergraduate studies, I received my first job offer from Infosys. Fast forward to 2013-14, during the second year of the Master's program at IIT Bombay, I lived in Hostel 14—also known as The Silicon Ship. That hostel was donated by Nandan Nilekani.

Today, I am excited to announce that our startup, @AppsForBharat, has raised our Series B round, led by Fundamentum. We are thrilled to also welcome @SusquehannaVC as new investors. I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of our existing investors, @ElevCap, @peakxvpartners, and @miraeasset VC.

The Indian startup ecosystem truly embodies 'The Indian Dream'. Coming from a rural background, I am getting the privilege of building a category-creating startup that is being built by an extraordinary team and is backed by incredible believers.

The journey ahead will be long, but we're committed. We’ll continue to scale @SriMandir_App worldwide, onboard new temples, introduce new services, and build a comprehensive tech stack for the devotional ecosystem. Our mission is to create a trusted go-to platform for millions of devotees, giving them the access they've always wanted. I am nothing, but grateful for this opportunity to create a large-scale impact!

While discussing our vision and our work with Nandan, someone every founder looking to create large-scale impact admires, I shared with him our Infosys and Bombay connection. He laughed and said, "Let’s deepen our partnership and create access for everyone!"

Thanks to @ashishkumar, @SaiAraveti for backing us. Thanks to @KhandujaM, @RajanAnandan, @ashishdave, @DeepakG606 for their continued support.

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

We keep thinking about what will be the most intuitive experience for our users!

We are committed to serving our users most delightfully, providing them access and convenience when it comes to their devotional needs. User obsession is our #1 value at @AppsForBharat - our pursuit is to provide them with a trusted, seamless, human-like experience and to be on the platform where our users are. Hence WhatsApp, hence an Al Companion.

Yesterday, the team at @SarvamAI demonstrated Sri Mandir Saarthi, a Whatsapp-based Al Companion at their product launch event in Bangalore.

We're super excited to partner with @SarvamAI to power this new conversational experience on WhatsApp, a first-of-a-kind human-like experience in our category where the devotees can seamlessly engage with devotional information and services from wherever they are and in any language they are comfortable with.

Saarthi is now in limited beta and we will do a controlled rollout to our users over the next 3-4 weeks.

Sharing the video with all of you here!

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@SriMandir_App Jai shree ram 🙏

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

Happening now: Akhand Ramayan Path at Prachin Ram Temple, Raj Dwar, Ayodhya.

This is being organised as part of #Ramotsav by @SriMandir_App. ~2k people have digitally participated in it, they got sankalpas done in their name and their families' names. They are from 14 Indian states and 8 different nations.

MH One Shraddha Channel is covering this Akhand Ramayan Path where people are digitally participating! 📺

More here: https://t.co/iKwOtJz42i

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@TheRajarshi Jai Maa Kamakhya 🙏😇

[Sri Mandir App @SriMandir_App]

We are set to light up #Ayodhya with 100,000 diyas during Ramotsav from Jan 18-24.

Join Hon’ble PM @narendramodi, Sh. Mohan Bhagwat, and CM @myogiadityanath in the #PranPratishtha ceremony on Jan 22.

Illuminate Ayodhya with us, from wherever you are! 🪔

@ShriRamTeerth @BJP4UP

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

Covered in Amar Ujala and many other newspapers today 📰

[International Digital Mandir Connect @IDMC_Official]

#IDMC2023 में हम स्वागत करते हैं हमारे विशिष्ट पैनलिस्ट @BJP4India के पूर्व राष्ट्रीय उपाध्यक्ष @ShyamSJaju जी का। #IDMC में @ShyamSJaju जी बताएँगे कि क्यों डिजिटल इंडिया मिशन मंदिरों और श्रद्धालुओं के बीच ऑनलाइन संबंधों को विकसित किए बिना अधूरा है। @BJPLive

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

Happy to share that we will be digitalizing access to the temples under the Manaskhand Mandir Mala Mission in Uttarakhand. The first phase includes 16 ancient temples from the region.

Sri Mandir app, through the @IDMC_Official platform, will offer a seamless path for a temple to go digital in just 30 minutes through a mobile phone (without any expensive tech infrastructure), enabling devotees worldwide to connect with it effortlessly.

We pledge that we will serve every temple that is historically & culturally important to our country, and will bring 1 lakh+ temples online. This will enable the devotees to do daily darshan & get access to authentic information/history/details/offerings related to these temples. This effort aligns with our Prime Minister's vision of preserving heritage through technology. Digital India Mission is incomplete without our temples having a digital presence!

Also, announcing that we are hosting the International Digital Mandir Connect Conclave on the 5th of October in Haridwar, where we will be unveiling this effort in the presence of Hon’ Finance Minister of Uttarakhand and other dignitaries.

We are a small team with a big ambition. You can follow @IDMC_Official for more updates!

Please retweet for karma 🙏

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

This is why we exist. 🙂
Such reviews make our day.

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

We are lighting 35000 diyas in #Ayodhya tonight! We are doing it on behalf of many who couldn't travel here.

Reply with the names of your parents/loved ones, will be happy to light a Diya here for their well being.

Will be able to do it for first 100 replies 🙏���

#HappyDiwali

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

Celebrate this Diwali with the help of SriMandir 😊

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

3 am shoot scenes from last night.

This Diwali, don't forget to checkout the library section and daily recommendations on @Srimandir_ app.

It is an authentic and exhaustive source of information for any/every festival.

Our team ensures that you get the best! #Diwali2022

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

Recieved this note from @nirajdama ♥️

[Prashant Sachan @prashantsachan]

I feel fortunate when I read such reviews. It is such a beautiful feeling when our users bless our entire team for building the app for them, this keeps reminding us of why we do what we do! 🙏🏼

@AppsForBharat
#TechForHappinessAndHope

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@peakperformer_ @Sequoia_India @_surgeahead @AntlerGlobal @BlumeVentures Congrats @aishwarya_08 and team! 🙂

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@mukularora 🙏

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

Had the amazing pleasure to work alongside @mukularora. Have learnt so much from him and continue to do so. Keep inspiring as you take Elevation to new heights ���️🙂

[Elevation Capital @ElevCap]

We’re delighted to announce that @mukularora has been promoted to Co-Managing Partner. He has been with Elevation for 11 yrs & has led/co-led investments in companies, such as FirstCry, Meesho, Spinny, Swiggy, Unacademy & Xpressbees.

Congrats Mukul! Wish you all the very best.

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@videtj An amazing journey for us and the team till now. So excited for the team Airblack and the massive opportunity that lies ahead. 🙂
Will be rooting for team's success now and forever. 😇
cc @whovaibhavraj

[Videt @videtj]

Lastly, thanks to @PulkitPujara who has been an indispensable pillar of support and power to @clubairblack till now, and now continues to root for us from the sidelines! We have lived decade-worth experiences in the last couple of years.

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@chamath Pricing the product right might be the biggest challenge. You go too high you run into above problem and you go too low you become another charity.

[Pulkit Pujara @PulkitPujara]

@chamath Smart and potentially successful students will do the math that X% of their salaries >> Fixed rate on debt. So the model will self select non-serious low performing students.