.png "Astrotalk appoints Deepak Khetan as CFO to drive IPO plans, global expansion, and financial growth. With 700k daily users and Rs 651 cr FY24 revenue, the startup targets unicorn status.")
I am Aadi, an MBA in marketing and finance. I study how startups balance growth with financial discipline, and I often write about leadership moves that shape IPO journeys in India’s tech ecosystem.
Summary:
Astrotalk has hired its first CFO as it gears up for a public listing in the next two years. The appointment signals how seriously the astrology startup is approaching scale, governance, and international expansion.
1. Deepak Khetan joins Astrotalk as its first CFO with two decades of financial experience
2. He has previously worked at GLS Group India, GlobalBees, Edelweiss, YES Bank, ICICI Bank, and Gulf Islamic Investment
3. His role will cover financial planning, compliance, investor relations, and risk management
4. Astrotalk has more than 20,000 astrologers and 700,000 daily active users with FY24 revenue of 651 crore
5. The company is preparing for an IPO, aiming for unicorn valuation and targeting 40 percent of revenue from overseas markets
What does an astrology platform have in common with the world of investment banking and consumer finance The answer right now is a single name Deepak Khetan. Astrotalk, the astrology consulting startup founded in 2017, has appointed him as its first Chief Financial Officer. The timing is not accidental. With an IPO planned within the next two years, bringing in a seasoned finance leader is the kind of step that signals both maturity and ambition.
Khetan’s career spans over two decades across institutions like GLS Group India, GlobalBees, Edelweiss Financial Services, YES Bank, ICICI Bank, and Gulf Islamic Investment. That background gives him the rare blend of consumer business insight and hard core financial services expertise. At Astrotalk, he will not only manage financial planning, compliance, and risk but also play a hand in shaping business strategy. IPO readiness is on top of his mandate, alongside guiding strategic investments and international expansion.
Astrotalk has grown into one of the largest digital astrology platforms in the world. Its network includes over 20,000 active astrologers, serving more than 700,000 daily users. The company operates on a revenue sharing model, which has fueled consistent scale without taking away from its core community of practitioners. By the numbers, the company hit a revenue run rate of about 1,600 crore with operating revenue of 651 crore in FY24. Net profit surged tenfold to 94 crore in the same year.
Those figures matter because they show the business is not just growing but becoming profitable at scale. Few consumer tech companies in India can claim that before listing. For context, many high growth startups have struggled to turn profitable even at IPO stage. Astrotalk is positioning itself differently, and Khetan’s arrival is a sign they intend to keep profitability at the center of the story.
There is also an international angle. The company wants 40 percent of future revenue to come from overseas markets. Astrology may feel culturally Indian, but demand for digital spiritual services is rising globally. Countries with large diaspora populations and regions where wellness and spirituality spending is climbing could be fertile ground. Expansion abroad also helps diversify revenue and reduce dependence on one geography.
For investors, founders, and students watching the space, Astrotalk is a fascinating case. It blends an ancient practice with modern tech distribution. It is proving that niche categories like astrology can be scaled into serious businesses. And with a unicorn valuation targeted in the next funding round, the next two years will be a test of execution as much as of belief.
5 things to Do and Dont for Business Builders and Investors:
1. Do focus on building strong financial systems early instead of waiting until IPO stage.
2. Do combine profitability with growth rather than chasing scale at any cost.
3. Dont underestimate the importance of governance once IPO plans are on the table.
4. Dont view CFO roles as back office finance only, they are strategic partners.
5. Dont lose sight of customer trust while chasing investor expectations.