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In a country where faith drives footfall and devotion unites millions, brands are fast waking up to the untapped power of India’s spiritual economy. With 2025 only halfway over - three spiritual gatherings, including the Kumbh Mela, Rath Yatra in Odisha and Pandharpur Yatra in Maharashtra, held a combined brand value of Rs 2,090 crore approximately - with Kumbh Mela holding the largest share at Rs 2,000 crore, followed by Rath Yatra at Rs 50 crore and Pandharpur Yatra at Rs 40 crore.
Collectively, spiritual marketing is witnessing a robust boom, with brand spends across Rath Yatra, and Pandharpur Yatra growing by an estimated 35 - 40% year-on-year. The Kumbh alone doubled its brand value to ?2,000 crore in 2025 from 2019, cementing its place as a mega-stage for high-value brand engagement.
Footfalls are also surging across spiritual events. The Pandharpur Yatra is expected to draw around 4–5 million devotees this year, while the Rath Yatra is witnessing around 15 million pilgrims. Earlier in January, the Kumbh Mela 2025 saw a staggering 476 million footfalls approximately.
Ad spends
Thus, as the footfall increases - so does the ad spends, given the fact that these events provide a golden opportunity for brands to not engage directly with the crowd through contextual messaging and immersive experiences.
Rajesh Radhakrishnan, Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Officer at Vritti Mindwave Media, highlighted that brands are now allocating dedicated rural marketing budgets, with a significant share directed toward experiential and out-of-home (OOH) activations during major religious events. Depending on the scale, campaign spends can range from ?25 lakh to over ?1 crore
He added that notably, regional FMCG players are increasingly willing to commit 10–15% of their annual marketing budgets to these high-footfall gatherings, while even urban-first brands are crafting tailored campaigns to tap into rural audiences during these peak periods.
Puri further noted that for smaller regional brands, activations can begin at as little as ?1.5 to ?3 lakh—typically focused on audio ads, van campaigns, or kiosk setups. In contrast, larger national brands or marquee events like the Kumbh Mela and Pandharpur Yatra can see spends reaching ?25–30 lakh or more, particularly when multichannel strategies are involved. These often include LED screens, branded utilities, digital amplification, and multi-city outreach efforts.
Brand participation
An array of brands from almost all categories are also increasingly venturing into spiritual marketing. From FMCG, BFSI to steel, agri, consumer durables, auto and more have all shown equal participation.
While Kumbh saw the highest number of brand participation, Rath and Pandharpur Yatra are not too far behind. “Rath Yatra is significant for us given its resonance across the country and particularly in Odisha—a region where our brands enjoy deep consumer affinity. The scale of the festival and its emotional gravity provides a meaningful opportunity to embed our brand purpose in a way that is profoundly engaging and transformative,” said Shuvadip Banerjee, Chief Digital Marketing Officer, ITC Foods.
He added that this year, their brand activations are designed as a synergistic mix of digital storytelling and immersive physical experiences, creating multiple touchpoints for consumer engagement with ITC’s key brands like Aashirvaad Atta, Sunfeast Marie Light and Aashirvaad Salt. From gamified devotional zones being initiated by Aashirvaad Atta, Nukkad Nataaks with local artisans by Aashirvaad Salt, to culturally rooted Surjya Bardaan campaign by Sunfeast Marie Light, each initiative is crafted with purpose—to offer comfort, relevance, and spiritual alignment to the devotee’s journey.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola too is participating in the Rath Yatra. The brand stated that it is supporting the city’s waste management efforts by facilitating PET bottle collection across public spaces and everyday touchpoints— including kiosks, hydration carts, and mobile units. The initiative also involves trained volunteers and local awareness drives, such as street plays, aimed at turning waste disposal into a collective habit. Reverse vending machines and help desks have been set up to further assist visitors, ensuring the process is convenient and accessible throughout the area.
In Pandharpur Yatra too, several regular participating brands such as Emami, Dabur and GSK are expected to participate this year.
As for Radhakrishnan, brands are also now treating these events as part of their annual calendar for rural marketing — akin to cricket or national holidays. “Over the past few years, we have seen religious festivals like Rath Yatra or Pandharpur Yatra earn a fixed place on the rural marketing calendar. Just like IPL or Independence Day ads dominate urban strategies, these spiritual events now drive rural outreach plans.”
“Religious events in India are no longer limited to spiritual observances; they are evolving into high-footfall, emotionally charged public gatherings that draw rural and regional audiences at scale,” said Sarabjit Singh Puri, Chairman, Fateh Rural Limited.
“With social media and video platforms like YouTube amplifying the buzz, these events are getting national attention, which further fuels attendance. At the same time, improved road, rail, and now even regional air connectivity has made access easier for pilgrims across states. For brands, this presents a powerful moment to activate on-ground — not just for visibility, but for real engagement,” he added.
Massive OOH opportunity
According to experts, large-scale religious events are significantly amplifying rural out-of-home (OOH) advertising. The Kumbh Mela alone reportedly drew an estimated ?750 crore in OOH ad spends. Sanjeev Goyle, CEO – OOH & Rural at Rapport (IPG Mediabrands) told e4m that even events like the Rath Yatra could attract ?20–25 crore specifically in rural and pilgrimage-focused OOH campaigns.
Radhakrishnan said that traditional formats like hoardings are now complemented with digital displays, LED vans, and audio networks at pilgrim hubs. “The scale and devotion associated with events like Kumbh Mela or Pandharpur Yatra make them ideal for high-visibility campaigns,” he said.
Thus, while Rath Yatra and Pandharpur Yatra are smaller in scale compared to the Kumbh Mela, they still command significant attention, and ad spends, from brands, driven by their massive footfalls, cultural resonance, and the growing marketing potential of rural audiences. These events also help in shaping the rural economy to an extent and generate crores in revenue.
This was further reiterated by Puri who concluded by saying that, “The scale of pilgrim footfall is massive — and brands are leveraging that with contextual, value-adding communication. It is a win-win: organisers benefit from sponsorships and better infrastructure, audiences get improved facilities, and brands achieve high-impact recall. This shift is turning religious festivals into organised rural media ecosystems — and that is a game-changer.”
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