Where one hand businesses are getting affected due to the coronavirus lockdown, on the same hand, Indians are increasingly flocking to online astrology websites or seeking horoscope consultations over the phone due to corona fear.
The sudden rise in demand for online astrologers has prompted them to charge high. Many are shelling out anywhere between Rs 12 and Rs 400 a minute for a glimpse into the future.
A leading daily spoke to astrologers, they said that layoffs across industries and financial markets nosediving have left many worried. Most inquiries are career and health related in the wake of Covid-19, but there is also the occasional query from anxious lovers whose plans to get hitched this year have derailed.
Chief operating officer (COO) of website Astroyogi, Aditya Kapoor, said the number of calls they receive has jumped from 100 to 250 a day on average since the lockdown.
“Young people, those in the age group of 22 to 40, make up for a large chunk of the callers. They mostly seek career advice,” said Kapoor, whose website has a network of 400 soothsayers. “An astrologer charges based on his popularity and experience. The minimum rate is Rs 12 per minute while it can go up to Rs 400 a minute for those high in demand.”
Prateek Pandey, co-founder of AstroSage, another popular astrology website, said their revenue has increased by 42% during the lockdown. “Our email consultations are more popular. One can ask a single question for Rs 250-Rs 300. A phone consultation costs Rs 400 for a 15 minute session.”
Astrologers said that among their growing clientele are also NRIs from Dubai, Singapore and Australia, ringing them up to allay their fears.
