On the occasion of Women's Day, Astroyogi CEO Meena Kapoor shared highlights on the start-up's integration of traditional astrology with modern data analytics, using AI for efficiency while preserving authenticity. Their 25% revenue growth is attributed to quality astrologers, AI-driven matchmaking and a customer-centric approach, with a focus on international expansion. They emphasise work-life balance, flexible policies and mentorship for women leaders, addressing systemic barriers.
Your specialisation lies exactly in the cross-section of traditional astrology and modern data analytics. How do you maximise ‘data-driven’ decisions while retaining the cultural and traditional values so perfectly intertwined in the service you provide?
At Astroyogi, we deeply honour astrology’s deep-rooted traditions. Today, we have merged them with modern technology, offering us deeper access to the experience. Data analytics helps significantly improve our services while keeping them authentic. AI recommendations lead users to the right astrologers, even though the wisdom relies on human interpretation. This way, from the acceptance of making technology an enabler, we have ensured that it remains true to its purpose while making it totally relevant and accessible to today's audiences.
A recent estimate of the company’s revenue growth during the last fiscal year is about 25 percent. What operational or strategic changes do you think have contributed to this success, and how do you plan to keep that momentum going even in a competitive digital space?
Our commitment to hiring only quality astrologers, a customer-centric approach that emphasises empathy, ongoing monitoring of customer sentiment and continuous innovation can be attributed to such growth. Further, we have streamlined our consultation model and adopted AI-based matching while building customer trust. With 30% of our leadership comprising women, we are casting a wider net of perspectives that drive strategy and innovation. Moving forward, we are focused on international expansion and providing more personalised services that ensure users receive impactful and meaningful guidance.
As an industry veteran, how critical would you consider the balancing of corporate responsibility and personal life?
We believe that success should not come at the cost of one’s physical and mental well-being. At Astroyogi, we encourage a culture of flexibility and structure regarding work-life balance. When leaders set a balanced tone, an environment is created for the cohabitation of productivity and well-being. In different circumstances, priorities change and we should be able to adjust our focus accordingly.
In a 2024 survey, women represented 18.3% of senior leadership positions in India, a drop from 2023. In your experience, what are the major challenges faced by women leaders in career advancement?
Women continuously face systemic barriers such as unconscious bias, lack of mentorship opportunities and unrealistic societal expectations. At Astroyogi, we are actively trying to empower women by creating solid pathways and helping them undertake leadership roles through mentorship programmes and flexible policies. The more organisations like ours invest in inclusive leadership pipelines, the faster we can bridge this divide. Thirty percent of our leadership and workforce are women with exceptional ownership.
Data reveals that your platform’s average session duration is around 5 minutes. What do you derive from this metric, and what is your strategy for enhancing users’ engagement without degrading the content?
Astroyogi’s five-minute sessions usually indicate that users are looking for specific and precise actionable insights. We strive to make their experience more engaging by introducing bite-sized video consultations, interactive content and more AI-powered personalisation. We ensure our sessions are exceptionally insightful and impactful by curating content that is worth every user’s time.
Current discussions on work-life balance: Do you think they are taking a turn that might facilitate or impede women’s participation?
It depends on how an organisation implements its work-life balance policy. If flexibility is just a buzzword with no structural changes implemented, challenges will persist. Our platform believes in true flexibility, wherein we allow some women to take higher ownership so that they excel professionally without compromising their personal responsibilities. Having said that, we are mindful of not being unfair to our male workforce. Everyone, including women, must make choices about what is best for them. Everything is not always possible at the same time.
Recently, there has been enough debate by India Inc. leaders on working hours for young professionals and the end of hybrid working. Are you not worried about this, especially for the women?
A hybrid work culture has been a game-changer for everyone, including working mothers. The lack of flexibility can pose additional barriers for women trying to balance their careers and family life. In the eyes of our expert partners, the best approach is work-life balance. Our female partners greatly benefit from the platform because they can work from home, thus balancing professional commitments and domestic responsibilities. However, other roles that are more demanding require people to be present in office. It is role based.
What do you think about the growing global audience of astrology? It is clear that there will be challenges in customising your services for such a varied audience. How are you preparing to overcome this?
Astrology has varied meanings across cultures, so a one-size-fits-all approach will not work. We are investing in research, joining forces with regional experts and developing our platform in terms of different linguistic and astrological traditions. This approach helps us keep our services accessible while being conscious of cultural nuances. We do, however, want to offer authentic services, much like yoga that has gone to the West.
In a recent 2024 study, 75% of working mothers reported facing a career setback between one and two years after taking maternity leave. What do you think could be a solution to this?
It is indeed a burning issue. Companies must facilitate resettlement programmes, mentoring and leadership training for working women, in addition to maternity leave. At Astroyogi, we offer work from home in some roles and transitional career plans so that women can easily return to work without setbacks.
Reportedly, AI has reduced average consultation times by 15%. How would you describe the decision-making process for introducing AI into the business, and what processes are in place to ensure that technological efficiency is balanced with traditional astrological practice?
Artificial intelligence has been integrated into our systems to enable better efficiencies rather than replacing human expertise. Quicker response times improve user satisfaction with a heightened personal touch in the services. AI helps in query filtration and client–expert matching, but wisdom and interpretation remain human-driven. We consider technology as an enabler that elevates instead of overriding age-old traditional astrological practices.
