Maha Kumbh 2025: ONDC-backed Waayu delivers over 110K mahaprasad orders

(This report has been updated)    The Maha Kumbh 2025, the world’s largest religious gathering, has drawn millions of devotees to Prayagraj. For those unable to attend in person, the sacred experience has been made accessible through home delivery of Mahaprasad. 

"We recorded nearly 3,500 mahaprasad orders on average every day. Besides these orders, we are hitting on an average of 1,000 orders per day on the platform. We are getting around 80 per cent of orders off ONDC (via Waayu's app), and the remaining 20 per cent via ONDC (via the buyer apps on the network). Going forward, we could see the ONDC volume substantially increasing," the company's co-founder and managing director Anirudha Kotgire said. Founded in May 2023, Waayu joined the ONDC network as a seller network participant in November 2024.

 

Waayu, India’s first zero-commission food delivery app, partnered with the government-backed open network for digital commerce (ONDC) to facilitate these deliveries, successfully fulfilling more than 110,500 orders. The Maha Kumbh Mela 2025 commenced on January 13 and concludes on February 26.

 

"We are receiving an average of 1,000 orders per day on the platform. Around 80 per cent of orders come via ONDC (through Waayu's app), and the remaining 20 per cent via ONDC (through buyer apps on the network). Going forward, we expect ONDC volumes to increase substantially," said Anirudha Kotgire, co-founder and managing director of Waayu.

 

Founded in May 2023, Waayu joined the ONDC network as a seller network participant in November 2024.

 

Waayu collaborated with partners like Amazon, Delhivery, Shiprocket, and India Post, aiming to complete deliveries across India within seven days. According to Mandar Lande, co-founder and chief executive officer of Waayu, despite logistical challenges due to the scale of the event, 80 per cent of deliveries were completed within five days.

 

As Maha Kumbh 2025 draws to a close, Waayu plans to continue delivering Mahaprasad throughout the year. The company is also working with the ONDC team to facilitate the delivery of prasad from other temples, including Shirdi Temple and Tirupati Balaji Temple.

 

This is not the first time Waayu has delivered prasads during a religious event. During the consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya in January last year, Waayu delivered nearly 30,000 orders in two weeks. The prasad was sourced from Ayodhya's Halwai Kalyan Samiti.

 

Speaking about the company's growth, Kotgire said, "We have close to 5,000 restaurants in our network. We are expanding rapidly every month, adding over 1,000 restaurants. With zero commission being our forte, that is the growth pace we have."

 

The Pune-headquartered company aims to expand to 25 cities and targets one lakh restaurant partners by year-end. It currently operates in six cities, including Pune, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Jaipur, and Belagavi.

 

Unlike food delivery players that operate on a commission-based model, Waayu relies on a software-as-a-service (SaaS) subscription model. "We have a very clear strategy, and we are not deviating from it. Our focus is purely on tech enablement, and we do not engage in business transactions." With zero onboarding fees, the company charges a Rs 2,000 subscription fee per outlet, irrespective of the total order count. 

Swiggy Instamart has also joined the trend of bringing religious offerings to devotees unable to visit temples during festivals. The quick-commerce platform announced on Tuesday that it will deliver Tandool Mahaprasad Ladoos from the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple on Maha Shivratri, reaching devotees across 40 cities.

 

"Swiggy Instamart has tied up with Amul to get the sacred Tandool Mahaprasad from Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple delivered in just 10 minutes on Mahashivratri," Phani Kishan Addepalli, the co-founder of the food aggregator platform posted on social media.