e-commerce
Waayu delivers 1,10,000 Mahakumbh prasad boxes across India
Mumbai: Waayu, India’s first 0 per cent commission food delivery platform in partnership with ONDC, has successfully delivered over 1,10,000 Mahakumbh prasad boxes and Sangam Jal orders by the conclusion of Mahakumbh 2025. This initiative allowed devotees across the country to experience the spiritual essence of the event from their homes.
Launched on 13 January, Waayu’s campaign distributed Mahaprasad across 19,000 pin codes in India. The shuddh desi ghee besan laddoos, freshly prepared in Prayagraj, Ayodhya, and Varanasi using traditional methods, met strict hygiene standards. The initiative also aligned with Mahakumbh’s sustainability goals by using eco-friendly, plastic-free packaging.
As Mahakumbh concluded on 26 February, 40 per cent of orders came from tier-1 cities such as Bangalore, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, 35 per cent from tier-3 cities including Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, and 20 per cent from tier-2 cities such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, and West Bengal. Approximately 23,000 boxes were delivered to travellers in Prayagraj.
Waayu co-founder & CEO, Mandar Lande credited partnerships with major logistics providers, including delivery, blue dart, shiprocket, amazon shipping, and India post, for ensuring timely deliveries nationwide. He also highlighted the company’s commitment to sustainability through plastic-free packaging.
Waayu collaborated with ONDC and many platforms such as Paytm, Snapdeal, Bajaj Finserv, Digihaat, Mystore, and Rubaru, streamlining Mahakumbh prasad orders. ONDC’s open network enabled swift nationwide delivery within seven days, making prasad accessible to devotees regardless of their location.
Waayu MD & co-founder, Anirudha Kotgire stated, “We are extending prasad delivery beyond Mahakumbh 2025 to build a broader spiritual commerce ecosystem. We plan to replicate this model for festivals such as Ram Navami, Krishna Janmashtami, Navratri, Ganesh Chaturthi, Diwali, regional Kumbh Melas, and Makar Sankranti.”
Following the success of this initiative, Waayu is expanding its reach in tier-1 and tier-2 cities, offering local restaurants a cost-effective alternative through its ONDC partnership. By addressing gaps in food delivery across smaller cities, Waayu aims to establish itself as a sustainable and restaurant-friendly market competitor.
e-commerce
Instamart gold dig event at Hussain Sagar goes viral
Hyderabad activation ties to gold price lock offer ahead of Akshaya Tritiya
MUMBAI: All that glitters isn’t just gold, it’s also great marketing. A quirky on-ground activation by Instamart at Hussain Sagar Lake has turned into a viral spectacle, with videos of people digging for gold coins flooding social media feeds this week. The campaign, executed in collaboration with Moms, transformed a patch of the city’s iconic lakefront into what online users quickly dubbed a “mini gold rush”. Armed with spades, participants dug through a mud-filled pit in search of hidden gold coins, an activity that drew crowds, cameras and plenty of commentary online, ranging from amused disbelief to outright fascination.
At the heart of the frenzy was a promotional push for Instamart’s ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature, which allows users to secure prevailing gold rates between April 10 and April 16 and complete their purchase later during Akshaya Tritiya, a period traditionally associated with high gold buying. The mechanic cleverly blended physical participation with digital conversion, turning curiosity into a potential transaction.
Branded as ‘Gold Diggers’, the activation leaned into gamified engagement. Those who struck lucky walked away with coins, those who didn’t were nudged with a simple message: lock the price now, buy later. The result was a steady stream of footfall and a surge in user-generated content, as onlookers and participants alike documented the spectacle.
The timing is significant. India remains one of the world’s largest consumers of gold, with demand peaking around Akshaya Tritiya. Data from the World Gold Council suggests the festival alone accounts for roughly 25–30 tonnes of gold purchases annually, making it a high-stakes window for brands looking to tap into consumer sentiment.
As the ‘Gold Price Lock’ feature remains live until April 16, the campaign has already done its job turning a simple product feature into a citywide moment. Because sometimes, the quickest way to get people talking about gold isn’t to sell it, it’s to make them dig for it.
